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

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

Kettering University and MSC.Software have announced the formation of a joint program offering engineers worldwide the ability to earn a master's of science degree in Engineering with a focus on Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) simulation. The new program is a unique combination of academic and industrial education with the latest in instructional delivery techniques and CAE simulation computer tools, allowing the maximum flexibility to prospective students worldwide.

"This is the first program of its kind," said Dr. James E.A. John, president of Kettering University. "We will meet the needs of industry to remain competitive while helping engineers cope with challenges of rapidly changing technologies. We are very pleased to work collaboratively with MSC.Software to offer such a strong and innovative program. The Department of Mechanical Engineering deserves much credit for its vision and continued push toward excellence in advanced engineering education."

Frank Perna, chairman and CEO of MSC.Software, said it is an important step for companies striving to make gains in the current market. "This will bring cutting edge education and technology to working engineers seeking to improve their skills, earn advanced degrees and help keep their companies be competitive."

Dr. K. Joel Berry, head and professor of Mechanical Engineering, said as industry seeks to reduce time-to-market and product cost -- while increasing product quality -- math-based design and analytical validation become critical to ensure success. "However, due to the advanced CAE software complexities, advanced theoretical knowledge combined with a strong working knowledge of CAE computer tools are necessary to effectively reduce the time from concept to design commitment. One without the other is not sufficient," Berry added.

The M.S. degree requires 10 units (courses) including seven academic and three industrial CAE vendor simulation courses. This degree will be available in addition to an alternative certificate of CAE simulation requiring three academic and two industrial courses. The academic courses are taken via the web and video media and are available via the worldwide facilities of the MSC Institute of Technology, a division of MSC.Software.

"We are providing students access to MSC's broad range of Industrial Engineering Simulation and Product Lifecycle Management software along with a convenient ability to complete an advanced engineering degree," said Dr. David Dimas, director of the MSC Institute of Technology and an adjunct faculty member at Kettering University.

"This program provides access to advance degree programs to a broad worldwide student base who would have been unable to otherwise complete an M.S. degree," said Dr. Basem Alzahabi, associate professor and director of the program for Kettering University.

Kettering University expects to admit students starting July 1, 2002.

For additional information contact Dr. Basem Alzahabi at (810) 762-7833 or email at balzahab@kettering.edu.

Kettering University, located in Flint, Mich., is one of the country's premier co-op institutions and provides 2,500 students with career-based education in engineering, applied sciences, mathematics, and business management. Founded in 1919, the University also offers graduate programs in engineering, manufacturing management and operations management.

Kettering President James E.A. John has signed an Academic Cooperative Agreement between Kettering University and Jilin University in the People's Republic of China. This agreement establishes a framework to begin negotiating the development of undergraduate programs in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering and Environmental Chemistry, and graduate programs in Automotive Engineering, Mechanical Design, Manufacturing Systems Engineering and Manufacturing Management, in addition to continuing education courses for professionals.

Jilin University, formerly Jilin University of Technology (JUT), is the premiere automotive educational institution in China. A handful of JUT graduates have earned master's degrees in Automotive Engineering from Kettering.

Jilin is one of the major universities in China and has already begun exchange programs with universities in Canada, Japan, Germany and Australia. Kettering would be the first American university to develop this type of program with Jilin.

The agreement would allow undergraduate students proficient in English to complete two years of study at Jilin University, and then transfer to Kettering University where they would complete their degrees alternating 15 months of coursework with 15months of cooperative work experience.

Graduate students proficient in English would come directly to Kettering University for 1.5 years, then finish their degrees at Jilin University with one year of coursework. Students not yet proficient in English would complete their degree in the reverse order. Professionals working in the Peoples Republic of China would enroll in continuing education courses, which may be offered at either location.

Written by Dawn Hibbard
(810) 762-9865
dhibbard@kettering.edu

Ann Marie Weitzel, a 1999 Kettering graduate, knows the feeling.

Weitzel works at Sun Microsystems, a multi-billion dollar Fortune 500 company that sells products like computer software, data storage systems and servers to corporations such as e-Bay and AT&T.

In July, the 31-year old California resident received Sun Microsystems 2007 Chairman's Award for Innovation. Sun presents the award to top innovators, who have improved a project that is integral to the company's success. "I feel fortunate," she said. "The Chairman's Award is one of the top two awards in the company."

Weitzel led a team of seven to create a supply chain needed to honor warranties on their products. To ensure the warranties, Sun previously purchased bulk quantities of spare parts at a cost of more than $100 million.

Sun wanted a quick solution and, with Weitzel's system, that is what the company received.

About Sun Microsystems: Created in 1982. Provides network computing infrastructure. solutions including computer systems, software, storage and various services. 34, 494 employees worldwide Ranks #187 on Forbes 2007 list of Fortune 500 companies. Provides service in more than 100 countries in the world. 2007 Fiscal Year Revenue: $13.873 billion.

Weitzel and her team's new supply chain now allows customers to trade in used products, which are then refurbished and remanufactured to ensure customer warranties. The system not only saves the company cash, it also offers customers an estimated 20 percent savings on products that are traded in.

It's a win-win not only for the company and its customers, it's also environmentally conscientious. "We are not building products that we don't need, and rather than buying new parts we are recycling," Weitzel said.

Weitzel attributes these accomplishments in part to the education she received at Kettering University. "I would not be the person I am today without Kettering," she said. "It is a great place to be with amazing opportunities."

Reflecting on family and friends, most of whom attended Kettering, Weitzel said, "We are all successful." She added that even her 16 year-old brother has aspired to attend Kettering since he was a little boy and wears the Kettering logos with pride.

Weitzel said students at Kettering are much further ahead of everyone else their age.

Fun Facts About Ann Marie Weitzel: Graduated from Chippewa Valley High School in Clinton Township. Married to Braden Robison, a 1998 graduate of Kettering University. Ann Marie and Braden will be adopting a child from China In 2005, Ann Marie visited Peru with Cross Cultural Solutions to volunteer at an orphanage. While attending Kettering, Ann Marie worked her co-op at Standard Products. Ann Marie helped Laura Sullivan start the Engineers Without Borders in 2005. She also helped create the Woman of the Year award and recognition banquet.

"You have to work hard from the beginning and you can balance it all better than most students. Kettering also teaches students to juggle multiple responsibilities at once," she explained.

Weitzel was recently promoted to Training and Development manager of Operations at Sun's California office. Weitzel graduated with a degree in Manufacturing Systems Engineering and lives in the San Francisco Bay are with her husband, Braden.

Written by Andrea Beaudoin
(810) 762-9865

This website provides PDF copies of conference proceedings published by faculty on recent research efforts, as well as science journalism that has appeared in national media outlets on research activities undertaken by Kettering faculty members. The goal behind this website is to help the University connect in deeper ways with visitors and alumni by posting original research, science journalism and links to interesting websites and books that may be of interest. The Kettering University Technical Publications Website Committee will play a crucial role in ensuring that materials posted on the website provide appropriate citations to copyrighted work and receive permissions to reprint work.

For Bob Werenski, a 1961 graduate of Kettering/GMI and member of the University's Alumni Association Board of Directors, and one of the champions of the new website, this resource would serve as a point of reconnection for many alumni who have not visited the institution since their graduation. "It would help readers experience in a direct way the role our University is playing in their continuing interest in science, math, engineering and business," he said.

The benefits to faculty would include an additional outlet to promote their research efforts, receive additional recognition by their peers, stimulate learning and communication between readers and other researchers, and finally demonstrate the practical aspects of science, engineering, math and business, which are at the root of the Kettering brand of education.

To learn more about this website, contact Judy Howald, associate vice president of Individual Giving, at (810) 762-9759.

Written by Gary J. Erwin
(810) 762-9538
gerwin@kettering.edu

The GRCC Library and Assessment Center will be a distribution point for exam proctoring and delivery of course materials for Kettering graduate distance learning courses.

Coordinating the effort is Raju Hegde, assistant director of Academic and Assessment at GRCC. Exams will be given in GRCC's Assessment Center.

"The services will officially be available the first week of January and will be a convenient link for graduate students in Kettering's flexible distance-learning program," Hegde said.

Kettering President Stan Liberty said this newest collaboration between GRCC and Kettering is another step in strengthening the technical workforce in West Michigan. "Kettering and Grand Rapids Community College have teamed up to create a clear pathway for a student to go from high school to an associate's degree to a bachelor's degree and now a master's degree," he said.

Graduate students interested in more information on the GRCC-Kettering partnership and services can contact Hegde at rhegde@grcc.edu. The deadline for graduate programs is Dec. 11 for students interested in beginning services at the GRCC location in January. Students can apply online on the Kettering website or call 810-762-9682 for more information.

The services at GRCC brings the total of Kettering's off-campus locations to nearly 130 at educational and industrial sites around the country, including centers at Alpena Community College,Delta College, near Saginaw, Lansing Community College and St. Clair County Community College in Port Huron.

More on the GRCC and Kettering collaboration:
The creation of a Learning Center at GRCC follows several other activities that the two schools have team up on in recent years. In 2004, GRCC and Kettering signed a strategic alliance agreement offering students a seamless transfer process. The GRCC-to-Kettering pathway has been strengthened by five scholarships donated by local businessman Armen Oumedian, who is a graduate of both GRCC and Kettering University.

In May 2006, GRCC and Kettering teamed up for a symposium focused on creating new business opportunities in the region. In late September, former Grand Rapids resident Rob Sobie, now vice president of Marketing for Cardinal Health, returned to collaborate on new business ventures in the region.

About Grand Rapids Community College:
Grand Rapids Community College is a vibrant institution of higher education dedicated to enriching people's lives and contributing to the vitality of the community. It is the mission of Grand Rapids Community College to provide the community with learning opportunities that enable people to achieve their goals. Grand Rapids Junior College (GRJC) was founded in 1914 by the Grand Rapids Board of Education after a resolution was passed by the University of Michigan's faculty which encouraged the establishment of junior colleges in Michigan. Throughout its 90-year history of academic excellence, GRCC has maintained a solid reputation as a premier transfer institution and is nationally recognized for both its liberal arts and occupational programs. More than 14,000 students are enrolled in more than 1,600 liberal arts and occupational courses. The diverse student body represents students from Kent and surrounding counties as well as students from across the U.S. and 22 othernations. Another 10,000 learners are served by non-credit instructional opportunities.

About Kettering University: Kettering University, formerly called General Motors Institute, is located in Flint, Michigan, and is one of the country's premier co-op institutions. It provides 2,500 undergraduate students with career-based education in engineering, applied sciences, mathematics, and business management. Students receive instruction from faculty who are active in research and committed to excellent teaching in the classroom. Founded in 1919, the University also offers graduate programs in engineering and manufacturing management. Kettering has been continuously ranked among the nation's finest specialty schools by "U.S. News and World Report."

Written by Pat Mroczek
810-762-9533
pmroczek@kettering.edu

"The combination of academics and real-world experience did it for me," explained Slota, who earned his Mechanical Engineering undergraduate degree from Kettering in 2002 and will receive his master's degree in Engineering this year as well from the institution. "I hope." He added, "to build on the classroom and corporate experiences obtained at Kettering, and develop a solid career as a mechanical engineer."

Slota, who hails from Sterling Heights, Mich., enjoyed a productive academic career. During his undergraduate and graduate studies, he said he found "innumerable new ways of challenging myself." For example, he studied abroad one term in Sydney, Australia, and achieved several academic honors, including membership in Kappa Mu Epsilon, a national Mechanical Engineering honor society. This year, he served as the graduate student speaker at Commencement Saturday, Dec. 10. His sister also graduated from the institution in 2001 with a bachelor's of science in Management.

Connie Marie Fullerton of Ypsilanti, Mich., also believes Kettering was key to jump starting her engineering career. The Mechanical Engineering graduate and this year's undergraduate commencement speaker chose Kettering because of the co-op program as well.

"I thought it was original and it would be a huge benefit to getting real world work experience," she said.

Currently, Fullerton works at the Nissan Technical Center for North America in Farmington Hills, Michigan. During her undergraduate studies, she participated in the exchange program and attended one term at Fachhochschule Ulm University of Applied Sciences in Germany. She also earned recognition for her academic endeavors through inclusion on the Dean's List. Additionally, she won Kettering's President's Medal, bestowed upon graduating seniors who excel in scholarship, professionalism in the job and community efforts, and she is a member of Kappa Mu Epsilon, Phi Tau Sigma, Tau Beta Pi and Sigma Phi Iota honor societies.

The most gratifying aspect of her Kettering education include "all the challenges that I overcame, learning of my potential through my experiences and being able to learn so much from my colleagues," she said.

Her future plans include working as an engineer for a few years and then returning to school to pursue her MBA degree. "Kettering's co-op program has given me the experience to successfully perform in whatever future career I choose," she said.

Written by Gary J. Erwin
810-762-9538
gerwin@kettering.edu

"I had participated in Formula at the University of Pittsburg where I received my undergraduate degree," said Lerner, "and I wanted to get involved at Kettering." Hoff saw not only a new team member but a potential graduate assistant as well.

"Seth was in the right place at the right time and wound up with a hybrid position," said Hoff, associate professor of Mechanical Engineering. "Half of his support is coming from the Research Office, to work on the fuel cell project, and half is coming from the Mechanical Engineering department, to work with the Formula team."

Lerner first spent a term reconditioning an existing fuel cell project from a former graduate student. He found out that what he calls "Version One" had leaks, "so it was not good for producing test data," said Lerner.

"The previous test bench was functional," he said, "but I wasn't satisfied with its performance. My idea was to rebuild it to get more repeatable data." A test bench includes a fuel cell stack and the 'balance of plant' - or mechanical system that makes the fuel cell produce energy.

The stack converts chemical energy to electrical energy and is literally a stack of layered graphite plates with a thin layer of membrane similar to Teflon between each plate. The membrane keeps the positive and negative sides of the charge separate inside the stack.

Lerner has spent the last year and half building a new test bench around a new fuel cell stack donated by Anuvu, a producer of patented hydrogen fuel cell stacks and competitive energy systems for OEMs,governments, private research and development laboratories and academic institutions. "Now we can start the fun stuff," said Lerner, of the testing phase.

The testing phase will characterize the fuel cell's output based on various input parameters. "Primarily, the bench will allow for the characterization of the output of electrical energy in kilowatt power based on what we feed it," said Lerner.

"Feeding" the fuel cell involves hydrogen introduced at the right pressure while taking into consideration the gas humidity levels and temperature of the stack itself, all factors that affect efficient performance. "We're not so interested in the internals," said Lerner, "we can't change the basic characteristics. We're approaching it more from an applications engineering standpoint - what can it do for us?

"We are going to try and characterize the fuel cell's performance and then size it to a practical application," he continued. "Dr. Hoff thought it might be able to be used as a range extender for a handicapped vehicle like an Amigo," he added, "but prior to doing something like that we have to know how the fuel cell performs under different conditions. And, we'll have to develop a control algorithm to recharge the battery."

"The immediate goal of the project was to develop the test bench that could be used to evaluate the fuel cell stack. The resulting test stand could also be used to support fuel cell education at Kettering," said Hoff. Fuel cell education was the incentive for Anuvu to donate the current stack, he added, saying the company's support also includes Anuvu CEO Rex Hodge joining the Kettering Fuel Cell Integration Center Advisory Board.

After Lerner characterizes the fuel cell's performance, Hoff said the next step will be to try and package it into a portable unit. "Once this conversion is accomplished we would beable to power something like the Amigo,"Hoff said. The last phase of the project will be to work with Anuvu to develop a fuel cell that could be used to power a GM EV1 car.

The fuel cell Lerner built is rated at 1.5 kilowatt power, meaning "it might be able to power a standard hair dryer, weed whacker or 15 100-watt light bulbs," Lerner said. "Building this system has given us all a real appreciation for the stand-alone fuel cells we buy," said Hoff. Stand-alone fuel cells are functioning fuel cell systems manufactured professionally and capable of generating controlled power - unlike the system Lerner built from scratch with a pre-made stack.

But building it from scratch has given Lerner and Hoff greater insight into fuel cells. "What we're doing involves the same basic principles that auto manufacturers use developing and producing hybrid and fuel cell vehicles," said Hoff.

The automakers, in turn, recognize the value of students with experience building fuel cells. A previous Kettering graduate assistant was hired by General Motors Advanced Powertrain division to work on their hybrid vehicle.

Lerner will be prepared for the marketplace in June, after earning a master's of Mechanical Engineering in Automotive Systems. He sees his work on the fuel cell as highly relevant to his degree program. "Working with fuel cells pertains to automotive systems because it pertains to powertrain development," he said, "whether it's charging the battery to run the motor or directly running the motor itself."

As long as it's working with engines "I'll be happy," said Lerner. He may postpone entering the "real" world for a little while, however. "I would like to go for my Ph.D.," he said. Maybe being the Formula team FACULTY adviser at a university is part of his future.

Written by Dawn Hibbard
810-762-9865
dhibbard@kettering.edu