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

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

Kettering’s Section A freshman class will have almost 260 fresh faces in it!  They will be joined by the second half of the freshman class (Section B) in October – welcome!

Many of the incoming freshmen are the finest students of their high schools from around the country.  There are at least nine valedictorians and three salutatorians in the entering class.  Kettering’s new freshmen arrive on campus a few weeks after a campaign visit by Sen. Barack Obama (see coverage at: http://www.kettering.edu/visitors/storydetail.jsp?storynum=2770.)  Entering students are also being greeted by several new academic programs, including a Pre-med course of study (http://www.kettering.edu/visitors/storydetail.jsp?storynum=2754) and a new BBA (http://www.kettering.edu/visitors/storydetail.jsp?storynum=2746).

Freshman Class at a Glance:

Section A freshmen: 259 students

Male: 210; Female: 49

Gender: 81% male; 19% female

African American: 15 (6%)

Hispanic: 9 (3%)

Michigan residents: 66%

Midwest residents: 82%

Number of states represented: 26

There are more women in the freshmen class than there has been in a number of years. Of the 259 freshmen, 49 are female (or 19 percent of Section A). That’s up from 13 percent a year ago.

More than 66 percent of new freshmen are from Michigan and 82 percent are from the Midwestern states.  Other states represented include seven students from New York, six from Texas, four from Florida, three from California, and two each from Alabama, Colorado and Kansas.  In all, 26 states are represented with students also coming from Arizona, Connecticut, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, New Jersey, Oregon, South Carolina and Utah.

Physical Facility Upgrades

A number of updates and renovations will greet the new class and returning students:

• Kettering’s International Office will soon be located in the Academic Building, near rooms 1-817 and 1-819 in the southwest hallway.  International director Luchen Li and student coordinator Heidi Schmoll will relocate from the Campus Center to their new offices soon.
• A new tiered crash sled classroom is now available in the Mott Center, dedicated to general classroom space and geared to the scientific research being done in Kettering’s crash safety lab.  New electronics will transfer data collected during crash sled runs in the nearby laboratory on to laptops in the new classroom, increasing research options for students at Kettering.
• The general computer laboratories in 3-501 and 3-503 Academic Building have been updated with new carpeting and technology.  The popular spaces are available for individual and group study sessions for students, and other uses.
• There is new carpeting in a number of classrooms of the Academic Building.
• The gymnasium floor has been resurfaced at the Recreation Center, plus the Prox Card system is now available at recreation facility.
• The stairwell in Thompson Hall’s south middle section was renovated and freshened up with new paint and a new floor.
• Some recent aesthetic changes on campus include the refurbishing of flower beds in the front of the Campus Center and Academic Building.  About a dozen volunteers turned out for the recent “spring clean up and flower day” on campus.  They worked side-by-side with physical facilities employees to clean up several flowerbeds and help plant colorful flowers around the main entrances of Kettering’s biggest buildings.
• Parking Lot 3, behind Thompson Hall, has been resealed and restriped with fresh paint.
• There’s a new curbcut at the Academic Building for easier access.   

The new academic year begins with two special events – Orientation and the first day of school.  Orientation is Thursday, July 10 – Sunday, July 15.  Classes begin Monday, July 16.

MEET SOME OF THE NEW FACES …

FIRST WITH FIRST:  About one of five students now coming to Kettering have had experiences in FIRST – For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology.  The international robotics contest for high school students was designed almost 20 years ago to showcase career options in Science, Math and Engineering.  Kettering has been actively involved for about a decade.  Kettering awarded 10 $22,500 scholarships (for 4 ½ years of study) to these 2008 FIRST Scholars:

• Andrew Breed, Tech Fusion (Team 279) of Toledo, Ohio;
• Jonathan Bushkuhl, the Rat Pack (Team 830) of Ann Arbor, Mich.;
• Bryan Coburn, the Dragons (Team 1243) of Swartz Creek, Mich.;
• William Hancock, Mech Warriors (Team 573) of Ortonville, Mich.; 
• John Lawniczak, GRR (Team 340) of Rochester, N.Y.;
• Nathan LeBlanc, PhyXTGears (Team 1720) of Muncie, Ind.;
• Ryan Masica, the Enginerds (Team 2337) of Grand Blanc, Mich.;
• Troy Russell, the GRAYT Leviathons (Team 1322) of Holly, Mich.;
• Steven Zimnie, the Hammerheads (Team 226) of Troy, Mich.
• Michael Pogue, The Gearheads (Team 1189) of Grosse Pointe, Mich.

Clean water is one of Michigan’s most precious natural resources and one freshman was among 30 Breckenridge High School students doing their part to make sure it stays that way.  Matt Myers conducted water quality tests at three locations in Gratiot and Midland counties under the direction of Chemistry Teacher Malena Marr. The students were part of a program organized by the American Chemical Society in Midland.   "It sounded like it would be a lot of fun," he said. "I wanted to learn stuff about the environment."  

Kristen Rose Bartkowiak, an honors student at Howell High School, was active in the Lansing Junior Symphony/Mid-Michigan Youth Symphony. She played on the tennis team, was the programmer for the school's robotics team and was a member of the National Honor Society. She tutored middle school and high school students and helped with various community organizations.  She plans to study Computer Science.

An honors student and Eagle Scout at Fowerlerville High School in Michigan, Jared Sanders earned three academic letters and also lettered in band. He belonged to the National Honor Society, Boy Scouts and Sanchin-RYU Karate.  He is interested in Science.

Keishawna M. Baker of Belleville High School is an honors student who has been involved in the National Honor Society since tenth grade. She was active in the Interact Club, earned Student of the Month honors and is listed in Who's Who Among American High School Students. She has been listed on the National Honor Roll and will study Computer Engineering.

Jacob Hassold, who is the son of Kettering Faculty Moderator Greg Hassold, a professor of Applied Physics, is joining the campus in Section A.  He has worked on the set crew for the University of Michigan’s Gilbert & Sullivan Society and was an honors student at Flushing High School.  Jacob has studied the violin for 14 years and was awarded the 2008 Flushing High School Outstanding String Player.  In his spare time, he enjoys fencing lessons.  He plans to study Industrial Engineering, with a particular interest in robotics.

Other Kettering community members sending children to campus are Dr. Laura Sullivan of Mechanical Engineering, whose son Andrew Sullivan, a graduate of Grand Blanc High School, is joining the campus.  And former employee Tammy Loud’s son, Andrew, is coming to study Industrial Engineering and Computer Engineering.

James Alan Beattie, an honors student at Whitmore High School was a member of the regional All-Star Quiz Bowl team. He played football and was a member of the National Honor Society.  He will study Mechanical Engineering.  Also planning to study Mechanical Engineering is Ronald Smith of Vermontville, an honors student at Maple Valley High School in the Lansing area.  He was active in wrestling and loves motorcycles.  And Justin Swartz, an honors student at St. John’s High School is also from the Lansing area.  He was active in the school’s industrial co-op program and he will also study Mechanical Engineering.

So welcome Class of 2013.  Have a good year and start saving your pennies on behalf of the Food Bank of East Michigan.  Kettering hopes to donate lots and lots of pennies toward the food bank’s $75,000 goal and fill the Penny Garden constructed by the Kettering realSERVICE design team of Erin Torchala of Macomb, Jeff Nolen of Dewitt, and Kennet Magnus of Clarkston, assisted by Professor Massoud Tavakoli of Mechanical Engineering, who have already kicked off the new academic year in the Kettering way!! 

Written by Patricia Mroczek
810.762.9533
pmroczek@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

Kettering’s Engineers Without Borders (EWB) helped the family of Cherokee Quinn Davidson celebrate her life and memory April 19 and 20 as they completed construction of a deck on the family’s home in Flushing, Mich.

Cherokee, 14, died from complications of leukemia March 14, one day before EWB had scheduled to build the deck and a wheelchair ramp to her home. The Kettering students went ahead with plans for the deck to give her family a place to remember happy times with Cherokee, said Dr. Laura Sullivan, professor of Mechanical Engineering and faculty adviser for EWB.

The group had pre-constructed sections of the deck and wheelchair ramp in lab space at Kettering over a period of two weekends. Teaming up with EWB for the installation part of the build project was Beta Theta Pi fraternity.

They spent two days digging post holes, leveling the sections and laying the decking – while intermittently breaking into song, quizzing each other on engineering trivia, stopping to eat pizza and slapping on more bug spray.

Cherokee’s four-year-sister McKenzie “helped” by shoveling dirt from the post hole piles and throwing rocks into the woods behind the family home. Parents Christine and Scott were very grateful to the build crew for their work and for offering to build the wheelchair ramp and deck for the family when Cherokee was ill.

“Eric Jacuzzi was the student who really got this project going,” said Sullivan of the project for Cherokee.  “He wrote a grant to the Carter Foundation for $1000 to cover the costs of materials for one ramp,” she added.

Once the group began work on the ramp for Cherokee, they realized the doors to her home were too narrow for her to get through in a wheelchair.  At that point, EWB began to include plans for a deck on the back of house, giving Cherokee wheelchair access to a sliding glass door. 

“This made our costs go up to at least $2,000,” Sullivan said, “so Eric worked with Home Depot and received a grant from them for $2,000 to cover the costs of the deck.”

EWB at Kettering has made it one of the group’s ongoing projects to build wheelchair ramps for people who don’t meet the requirements of other non-profits that build ramps. “Just because someone doesn’t live in Flint, or they live in a mobile home doesn’t mean they don’t need help,” said Sullivan.

The group is beginning to receive referrals from hospitals and other agencies who work with patients who need ramps, but either can’t afford them or do not qualify for other ramp-building programs.

Since the Davidsons no longer need a ramp, two-thirds of the ramp planned for Cherokee will go to a home in Burton sometime in April or early May, according to Sullivan.

“I've since received a request for a ramp in Mt. Morris for a family with a parent who's been diagnosed with ALS, and I've also been asked for information from case managers at Genesys and Hurley,” Sullivan said. She also received two phone calls from individuals seeking ramps for family members.

The only thing that will slow EWB’s ramp building program is securing funding. The group relies on contributions and grants to purchase materials. To support their efforts contact Sullivan at lsulliva@kettering.edu or call 810-762-9838.

The group is committed to building wheelchair ramps as an ongoing project of both A and B sections of EWB in addition to doing projects overseas, said Sullivan of all the requests. For more information about EWB at Kettering visit their web site (http://www.collegeknowledge.us/).

Engineers Without Borders - USA (EWB-USA) is a non-profit humanitarian organization established to partner with developing communities worldwide in order to improve their quality of life. This partnership involves the implementation of sustainable engineering projects, while involving and training internationally responsible engineers and engineering students. For more information, visit their web site (http://ewb-usa.org/).

Written by Dawn Hibbard
810.762.9865
dhibbard@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

The next generation of computer and electrical engineers will need to know as much about public policy and the impact of their work on people as electrons.

This is just one aspect of a lecture series that LeEarl Bryant, a professional engineer from Richardson, Texas, and the first woman president of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers-USA (IEEE-USA), will give at Kettering University Sept. 10 and Oct. 9.

Her talks will focus on the problems faced by new engineers and how IEEE membership can prepare engineers to face these challenges. The lectures, which are free and open to the public, will take place from 12:15-1:15 p.m. in Room 1-819 of Kettering's Academic Building.

Bryant's distinguished career includes selection as a fellow of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) in 1988 and selection as an IEEE-USA Congressional Fellow in 1993, under which she served as a legislative assistant to U.S. Rep. Pete Green of FortWorth, Texas. Her responsibilities for Rep. Green focused on examination of issues in telecommunication, competitiveness, technology, health, education and aging. She is leveraging her presidency of the IEEE-USA for the benefit of all engineers and scientists, especially women and minority engineers who contribute to improving the quality of life for all people around the world.

In 1999 she received an IEEE-USA Citation of Honor for her extensive volunteer service to the Institute. Her involvement in IEEE extends back to her days as a student at Texas Tech University, from which she earned a bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering in 1966. She also earned an MSEE degree with a bio-medical option from Southern Methodist University and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in 1968. Additionally, she was a pioneer in the development of the SWE Texas section.

Bryant's extensive background is in the telecommunications, transportation and defense industries. Her company, Texas LAB Consultants, specializes in venture and start-up guidance, project management, strategic and business planning, and technical writing, including patent descriptions.

Bryant's host, Dr. James Gover, professor of Electrical Engineering at Kettering, retired Sandia National Laboratories engineer and former IEEE consultant to the U.S. Senate and Congress for science and technology policy, said that Bryant will provide students with a keen understanding of the issues and responsibilities engineers must shoulder during their careers.

"Young engineers must have a much broader technical and deeper non-technical skills than the previous generation," Gover explained. "For engineers to attain the status in our society that their intellectual capacity merits and society requires, they must be familiar with many issues, including contemporary problems, and be able to analyze these problems with skills they honed in the practice of engineering. They must also be outstanding communicators, committed to life-long learning, and willing to engage in the promotion of their profession and its importance to society. Early involvement in the IEEE is a critical first step for engineers of the next generation."

"One trait that the new generation of engineers has grown up with is the use of computers," Bryant said. "Young engineers take computers for granted as available tools that help facilitate work. This is one main difference from their predecessors."

IEEE-USA is an organizational unit of the IEEE created in 1973 to promote the careers and public policy interests of more than 230,000 electrical, electronics, computer and software engineers who are U.S. members of the IEEE. The IEEE is the world's largest technical professional society. For more information, visit the IEEE online at www.ieeeuse.org.

Written by Gary Erwin
(810) 762-9533
gerwin@kettering.edu