May 2025

Our Research Week Open House was a resounding successwith over 150 guests joining us last week. Community members, students (both prospective and current), faculty, staff, alumni, donors, leadership, and even Viktor the Viking roamed the halls to learn about student research projects, tour labs, and hear inspiring Ignite-style talks from our Research Week award-winning faculty (more on that below).

Another highlight of the event was a secret flash mob performance by PSU Choir students singing "Defying Gravity" during a Dryden Drop Tower demonstration. It was an inspiring STEM moment that showed resilience in the face of adversity.

Brett Bolstad (ECE) and Mary Ann Triska (CEE) have garnered rave reviews for their exceptional instruction at Jilin Jianzhu University in China. Both were praised for their compelling course explanations and their outstanding communication and teaching skills. Kudos to them for being such wonderful ambassadors for Maseeh College and PSU!

Portland State Aerospace Society (PSAS) hosted an open house on April 16th, showcasing rockets, satellites, food, and merch. Attendees explored PSAS's latest rockets, rocket systems, and the liquid fuel engine test stand. This event also marked the last chance to view OreSat0.5, Oregon's second satellite, before it was taken to Vandenberg Space Force Base for integration.

Transportation Research and Education Center (TREC) held a conversation with Former Congressman Earl Blumenauer, discussing barriers and solutions for transportation agencies in Oregon and beyond. The conversation addressed severe funding challenges and the difficulty of maintaining or improving infrastructure and programs.
ECE PhD student Tucker Mastin and Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Eighth Northeast Regional Conference on Complex Systems in Binghamton, New York.
Maseeh student group members from National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), and Society of Women Engineers (SWE) recently picked up some swag and enjoyed a personalized site visit to Qorvo in Hillsboro.

Maseeh College collected three of the seven PSU-wide awards, in addition to our college research award. This year's honorees include:
- Daimler Professor Raúl Bayoán Cal (MME) received the university's top honor, the PSU Presidential Career Award for his explorations of fluid mechanics, including renewable energy systems and microgravity.
- David Wedge Vision Associate Professor Elliott Gall (MME) was awarded the newly-established PSU Faculty Award for Public Impact Research for analyzing and improving indoor air quality and public health, including developing interventions to address pollution, wildfire smoke, and viruses in schools and public spaces.
- Associate (soon to be full) Professor Diane Moug (CEE) was named the 2025 Maseeh College Researcher of the Year for her work on revolutionary approaches to soil stability and earthquake engineering.
- Professor and Associate Chair of Graduate Programs Thomas Schumacher (CEE) was awarded the PSU Graduate Mentoring Excellence Award for his dedication to creating a collaborative and supportive environment in which graduate students thrive both academically and socially. His research focuses on developing practical non-destructive evaluation (NDE) tools.

Grant information available as of of March 13th.

Ilke Celik (CEE) was awarded $315,000 from the Georgia Institute of Technology/NSF for “Understanding Chemical and Mechanical Interactions and Their Enviro-Economic Implications in the Recovery, Reuse, and Recycling of Halide Perovskite Solar Cells”
Peyman Abbaszadeh (CEE) was awarded $87,080 from OSU/DOI USGS for “Exploring the Benefits to Modeling of the USGS NSGWOS Streamflow Observations”
Banafsheh Rekabdar (CS) was awarded $8,777 from Auburn University/ONR for “Double-scale FEM-DEM Modeling of Sea Ice Floes at M-KM Scales: Model Initialization and Development”
Andrew Greenberg (ECE) was awarded $550,000 from AscendArc/ DOD US Air Force Research Laboratory for “Non-Proprietary Work Plan; Topic: AF23E-PTCS01_STTR Phase II_Proposal_F2-18125_ Rapid, Scaleable Geosynchronous Communications”
Scott Wells (CEE) was awarded $65,000 from Anchor QEA/State of Washington, Recreation and Conservation Office for “Chehalis Basin Strategy Development”
Sirisha Kothuri (CEE) was awarded $95,000 from ODOT for “Evaluation of the Relationship Between Near Misses and Crash Outcomes at Intersections in Oregon”
Elliott Gall (MME) was awarded a $75,000 grant from the National Air Filtration Association (NAFA) for “Filtration for healthier indoor air and surfaces: developing new approaches for evaluating molecular and particle filtration in realistic chamber testing.”

Congratulations to the following winners of Open House STEM Student Poster Showcase:
- Arely Corro Sanchez (advised by Samantha Hartzell (CEE)), showcase winner
- Kaj Hansteen Izora (advised by Christof Teuscher (ECE)), first runner up
- Satvik Mudgal (advised by Primal Pappachan (CS)), second runner up
- Anh Nguyen (advised by Michael Starnbach), second runner up

Maseeh College will soon hanging posters to honor each our 13 Research Week awards winners; look for them to make an appearance on the first floor soon.
New tariffs now apply to many imports from Canada, Mexico, the EU, and other countries, increasing costs significantly (e.g., 25% for many Canadian products). These tariffs are paid by the purchaser (via grant or department index). Vendors rarely cover duties, so the additional costs fall to Maseeh. Tips to Manage Tariffs:
- Budget carefully: Use "reciprocal tariffs" as a rough guide but note rates can change quickly.
- Buy US-made goods: Imported goods from US-based companies may still include tariff-adjusted prices.
- Consider alternatives: Buy used or certified pre-owned items from US suppliers or repair existing equipment.
- Plan ahead: Allow extra time for documentation, as returns and cross-border transport (e.g., instruments) are now more complex.
- Keep documentation: Save all customs paperwork; for grants, submit it to Helen Frey (Research Administrator).

Maseeh College's commencement ceremony will be on Friday, June 13th from 5-7pm at Viking Pavilion. Until May 9th, Staff and faculty can still fill out the RSVP form to volunteer to help with this year's graduation event. Tickets are available until May 15th at PSU's ticketing site.

Distinct from the new college-wide commencement ceremony, Maseeh's smaller and more personal department Graduation Celebrations a chance to chance to relax and celebrate with students, staff, and faculty. Some involve short speeches will be made, graduation gifts, and our annual student awards
- Civil and Environmental Engineering: Thursday June 5th from 6-8 pm on the The Academic and Student Recreation Center (ASRC) Rooftop Terrace
- Computer Science TBD
- Electrical & Computer Engineering: Friday June 13th from 3-5 pm at University Place
- Engineering & Technology Management: Friday June 13th from 2-4 pm at the South Park Blocks
- Mechanical & Materials Engineering: Friday June 6th from 2-4pm in the EB Atrium
Our Undergraduate Senior Capstone Presentations are another opportunity to celebrate our amazing students' accomplishments before the department celebrations. We hope you get a chance to catch some of them
- Civil and Environmental Engineering: Thursday June 5th from 4-6 pm in EB 102 and EB 315
- Computer Science TBD
- Engineering & Technology Management: Friday June 13th from 12-3 pm at University Place
- Mechanical & Materials Engineering: Friday June 6th from 10 am-12 pm in the EB Atrium

The Cascadia R Conference is coming to PSU/OHSU Robertson Life Sciences Center. This practitioner-oriented conference a week after PSU graduation, so for those that are still in town, this is a opportunity fir some professional networking. Visit their website to register and get more information.

Kin Le, Maseeh College Assistant Director of Development and PSU Foundation colleague, will soon relocate to Grand Rapids, Michigan, to step into a development role with the University of Michigan. Kin has made significant contributions to our development efforts and has been a thoughtful and dedicated member of the Dean's Office (as well as an excellent karaoke singer). Join us in wishing her all the best for this next chapter. If you worked with Kin on specific projects and need assistance, please reach out to Erin O’Roak, Director of Development.

Before snagging the top PSU Research Award, Raúl Bayoán Cal (MME) took time to discuss his foundational collaborations, including those with his students at Maseeh, and his groundbreaking research in Building Science That Moves
Maseeh College faculty were recognized by Portland State for their efforts to tackle pressing challenges and support student achievement. From engineering earthquake resilience to improving indoor air quality to preserving critical infrastructure, the work of Diane Moug (CEE), Elliott Gall (MME), and Thomas Schumacher (CEE) reflects PSU’s dedication to fostering impactful research and preparing students to meet the future’s demands. They offered insight into their research and mentorship in a recent article, Honoring Innovation and Mentorship.
Learn more about how Elliott Gall (MME) is Helping Communities Breathe Easier.
Dive into how Raúl Bayoán Cal (MME) and mechanical engineering Ph.D. candidate, Natalie Frank are engaging with students at The Portland Montessori School to design experiments destined for space.
Explore how The Origins of the Portland Loo was created through a unique collaboration with PSU alumni and students

Maseeh College Computer Science Instructor Mike "Mike Likes Science" Wilson (CS) appropriately wears his PSU PDX shirt in a collaborative rap ode to PDX airport's wooden roof.

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