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| Update from Dean Sweigard
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Dear Herff Alumni and Friends, A new Engineering Research Building has been identified as the UofM’s top funding priority for the academic year 2019-2020 capital request to the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC). In the interim, I am preparing the application to THEC due July 2018. If successful at the state level, our hope is for construction to begin in the spring of 2019. Our development staff are working to secure a 10% private match which is required to submit the July application.
Plans for the building include a 40,000 square foot facility located behind our existing buildings. In addition, renovations of approximately 17,000 square feet of existing space will create additional active learning classrooms, enhanced student services space, and additional offices for faculty and staff. We anticipate a total cost of $25 million for Phase 1 of a proposed three phase effort.
We will be sharing much more about this in the future but this is very exciting news. Other than a few building renovations, there has not been any significant addition to the College’s physical plant since 1970.
Thank you for your continued support of the College and Go Tigers!
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Construction Underway for Additive Manufacturing Lab at Herff College
Construction continues on our groundbreaking Additive Manufacturing Initiative that will enhance the application of advanced 3D printing technology in modern manufacturing. The initiative will be supported by a $2 million investment from the University of Memphis for equipment and laboratory infrastructure, robust collaboration with local industry and a team of faculty researchers. The Additive Manufacturing initiative involves faculty in Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering, Engineering Technology, Physics and Materials Science, and Chemistry. The University's FedEx Institute of Technology will also lend support to the initiative by establishing an Additive Manufacturing Research Cluster to seed novel work in this arena. Additionally, the University will develop new related coursework, a graduate certificate program and training programs for industry professionals, helping to address a regional skills gap in this rapidly emerging and growing new area.
The new laboratory is expected to open in May 2018.
"This investment will have a significant impact on the Herff College of Engineering and the entire region," said Herff Dean Dr. Richard Sweigard. "We will be the first institution of higher education in the Mid-South to have 3D metal printing capabilities. The research that will be conducted, and the students who will be educated will provide economic benefits for many years to come."
Part of the nation's push to revitalize manufacturing industries, Additive Manufacturing is among a new generation of advanced technologies enabling diverse industries to harness unprecedented degrees of manufacturing precision, efficiency and flexibility.
View a video HERE to learn more and click HERE to read a recent Commercial Appeal article featuring the Additive Manufacturing lab.
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| Herff Resumania & Engineering Career Fair
Coming SOON!Help Us Connect Students to Employers
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Resumania: February 7, 2018Employers and Alumni, help us prepare our students for the upcoming Engineering Career Fair by participating in our Resumania event on Wednesday, February 7th from 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. in the lobby of the Engineering Administration building. You will meet one-on-one with students and provide immediate feedback to their resume and cover letter. Click HERE to register as a volunteer for this event or email Ms. Shelia Moses at srmoses@memphis.edu to learn more. Engineering Career Fair: February 21, 2018 Don't miss this opportunity to put your company in front of top engineering talent! The Engineering Career Fair will be held 8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. in the lobby of the Engineering Administration building. Click HERE to register your company for this free event.
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| Alumni Events:
Make Plans to Hoop it Up with Herff!Thursday, March 1st
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Join Rick Sweigard, Dean of the Herff College of Engineering, along with Herff faculty, staff and alumni, on Thursday, March 1, from 6-8 pm at Silky O’Sullivans (183 Beale Street) prior to the Tigers vs. South Florida game. Tigers tip off at 8 p.m.
Dinner and soft drinks will be provided. A full cash bar will be available. There is no charge to attend this free event, but please RSVP using the button below so we will have enough food!!
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Herff Annual Awards Event set for April 13th
Make plans to attend the Annual Herff Awards event to celebrate our dedicated faculty, staff and supporters! The 2018 event will be held on Friday, April 13th in downtown Memphis at the Halloran Center, adjacent to Orpheum Theater. More details to follow about this fun event!
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| Berisso Named Chair to 2018 AIM Industry Group
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Kevin Berisso, PhD, Director of the AutoID Lab here at Herff, will assume the Chair position for Advancing Identification Matters' (AIM’s) RFID Experts Group (REG). The group is responsible for addressing global standards and issues associated with radio frequency identification (RFID). The REG is currently comprised of more than 40 organizations from the U.S., Europe and Asia. Congratulations Dr. Berisso!
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Civil PhD Student Receives Eisenhower Fellowship
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We are proud to announce that Sam Jordan, a student in our Civil Engineering PhD program has been awarded the prestigious Dwight D. Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship. The award recognizes the potential of his ongoing research in performance metrics for intermodal transportation systems. The primary vision of Sam’s research plan is to change the way engineers view and treat the transportation system in regards to strategic planning and investment strategies. By creating a methodology that looks at the intermodal network as a multilayer interconnected network, Sam hopes to encourage strategies that take into consideration the interactions between modes of transportation and that leverage these interactions to promote higher system-wide levels of service and lower total investment costs. Additionally, Sam is including equity metrics in the strategic planning process to encourage more balanced and appropriate direction of resources. More About Sam: Sam Jordan completed a BSCE with the University of Memphis in 2015 before beginning a MS in Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure Systems at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Upon completion of his master’s degree in 2016, Sam returned to the Herff College of Engineering to begin work on a PhD in Civil Engineering under professors Mishra and Golias. “I got interested in transportation engineering because it’s a great way to study how the parts of a major system interact. Systems are complex; there are always unintended consequences and unforeseen interactions. I enjoy bringing some order to the chaos,” says Sam.
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| Congratulations to Herff December Graduates
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Electical Engineering and Computer Engineering students pictured from left to right: Mousumi Deb (MSEECE), Nurmohammed Patwary (Ph.D), Dr. Chrysanthe Preza, Chair and Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Hanieh Shabanian (MSEECE), Shamima Najnin (PhD). The University of Memphis awarded 1,678 degrees, including 48 doctoral degrees, during the winter Commencement on Sunday, Dec. 17, at FedExForum. Herff is proud to announce that of the University total, Herff awarded three doctoral degrees, 21 master's degrees, and 56 undergraduate degrees across all programs. Congratulations to our December graduates!!
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SweetBio Update
Herff is excited to learn that after over two years of hard work, SweetBio officially submitted their FDA 510(k) application for the SweetBio Apis dental barrier membrane on December 24, 2017! We are very excited for our friends at SweetBio and confident their application, expertise and partnerships will blaze forward to commercialization. This month they officially submitted a Fast Track Phase I & II SBIR grant proposal for $1.715 million! If awarded, this grant will support the design, development and regulatory submission of a wound care product for the treatment of chronic wounds. Part of this grant will be a collaborative effort with Dr. Gary Bowlin, Endowed Chair in the University of Memphis Department of Biomedical Engineering.
Click HERE to learn more about SweetBio and Isaac Rodriguez, Ph.D, SweetBio CEO and Chief Science Officer, and former Postdoctoral Fellow here in the Department of Biomedical Engineering!
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| | Colonel Jason Glass (BSET '93) named Assistant Adjutant General for the Tennessee Air National Guard
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Left photo: Col. Jason Glass Right photo: Maj. Gen. Max Haston, (left), the Adjutant General of the Tennessee National Guard, accepts a guidon from Col. Jason Glass (right), to symbolize Glass assuming the position of Assistant Adjutant General for the Tennessee Air National Guard on Jan. 7 at the Tennessee National Guard Joint Force Headquarters in Nashville, Tenn.
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In a Change of Command Ceremony held on Sunday, January 7th at National Guard Headquarters in Nashville, Governor Bill Haslam and Major General Max Haston, Tennessee’s Adjutant General, named Colonel Jason Glass as the new Assistant Adjutant General for the Tennessee Air National Guard. Col. Glass previously served as the Commander of the 218th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group (ISRG), Tennessee Air National Guard at Joint Base Berry Field, Nashville.
Col. Glass enlisted as a traditional guardsman in the Tennessee Air National Guard in March 1989 with the 241st Engineering Installation Squadron in Chattanooga. He was commissioned through the Reserve Officer Training Course (ROTC) at the University of Memphis in May 1993 and entered the Active Duty Air Force in January 1994. While on active duty, Col. Glass held numerous jobs and deployed in support of Operations Northern Watch, Noble Anvil, and Allied Force.
He is a cum laude graduate of Herff with a Bachelor of Science degree in Electronics Engineering Technology ('93). He also earned two associate’s degrees, one in Robotics and the other in Computer Science, from the Chattanooga State Technical Community College.
“Col. Glass brings a great deal of professionalism and experience to the job at both the state and national level,” Maj. Gen. Haston said. “Jason clearly understands the complexity of global threats and the National and State requirements to lead the Tennessee Air National Guard into the future.” Click HERE to read more about Col. Glass' career and join us as we congratulate him on this prestigious honor.
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| Meet Isaac Wade, (BSCE '11)
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Isaac Wade, PE (BSCE, '11) began his civil engineering career as an undergraduate intern with Allen & Hoshall, a full-service design firm headquartered here in Memphis, Tennessee. As 2018 begins, Wade will soon be celebrating a six-year tenure with the company. As a graduate of the Herff College of Engineering, Wade credits one notable instructor as a major influencer to his achievements as he continues in his career. “Dr. Charles Camp was my favorite professor because he included engaging hands-on projects and encouraged teamwork, along with friendly-competition,” Wade recalled. Wade often reflects on his days as a student, his assignments and even the out-of-class activities that helped make him the engineer he is today. He participated in the Wood Bridge Competition, which allowed him to get a feeling for completing the assigned objectives of performance, cost and competition. These skills were recently demonstrated in his work as one of the civil engineers representing Allen & Hoshall for the construction of the University of Memphis’ Community Health Building. Wade says he "now drives past this education facility every day knowing that a set of engineering plans that he assisted in designing, now exists on the campus where his engineering career originated." The education and preparation that Isaac received from Herff College laid the foundation that led to his development, not only professionally, but personally. Wade is very involved in his community and became a member of the American Council of Engineering Companies of Tennessee in 2016. He encourages students to intern at a design firm like Allen & Hoshall and take advantage of any hands-on opportunities that are presented to them, as they continue to explore their chosen fields. “There are some things you just cannot learn in a classroom,” Wade said. Thanks Wade, we couldn't agree more!! Keep up the good work!
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The Southeast Transportation Workforce Center to Host Transportation SummitClick graphic for conference website.
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Memphis, known as America's Distribution Center, is at the forefront of redefining global logistics and innovating workforce solutions. It's the heart of North America and the perfect setting for the 2018 Choosing Transportation Summit. Make plans to attend this informative and exciting Summit, hosted by our own Southeast Transportation Workforce Center!
Make plans to attend this two-day summit where you will:
• Learn about innovative workforce practices, exciting industry trends and technology advances,
• Contribute your insight and ideas for addressing workforce challenges,
• Network with transportation professionals from across the US, and
• Share your passion for the industry with the workforce of the future!
The 2018 Summit will feature:
• March 22 - professional conference, student sessions, career and vendor expo
• March 22 - annual Blue Pump Gala from 6-8 p.m.,
• March 23 - workshops engaging participants in designing solutions to key workforce challenges.
Click HERE for a draft agenda and HERE for the conference website. See you in March!
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