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National
Engineers Week Presents the New Faces of Engineering.
Handling nuclear power is always a demanding proposition, but never more so than within the confines of a submarine. It is within those parameters that Lieutenant Junior Grade Gabriel Alvillar has excelled in all areas of submarine engineering and operations. As Reactor Controls Assistant, Damage Control Assistant, and Chemistry and Radiological Controls Assistant onboard USS SEAWOLF (SSN 21), Alvillar’s broad range of knowledge across multiple disciplines has allowed him to successfully perform these important responsibilities. Alongside these duties, LTJG Alvillar has also achieved a reputation as a superior officer who skillfully combines technical expertise with great leadership and decision making skills, allowing him to effectively supervise a 30-person watchteam in charge of operating the submarine's nuclear propulsion plant. Among his efforts is the training of that team on the intricacies of safe plant operations under a wide range of scenarios. Through hard work, dedication, and an outstanding grasp of submarine systems, LTJG Alvillar has established himself as an important part of the Seawolf’s safe and effective operation. Contact Lt. Alvillar: alvillgb@seawolf.navy.mil
Those who associate engineering with efficiency need look no further than Vinoth Mani Balasubramani to prove their point. Currently a process/industrial engineer at General Motors, Balsubramani has implemented systems from Detroit to India that have reduced costs, increased production, and maximized floor space. Among his accomplishments is a demand-pull material flow process for Visteon, the automotive supplier, and optimized daily production efficiencies by an internal kanban card system. For Goodwill Industries in Detroit , Balasubramani reduced waste by 28 percent and improved the engine valve spring knitting process by 40 percent by implementing the lean manufacturing technology of Kaizens. For Bajaj Auto Ltd., India , Balasubramani installed cylinder head manufacturing cells and eliminated stand-alone machines in the company’s heavy engineering division, reducing the floor space by 70 percent. It also improved lead-times by 50 percent and work-in-process times up to 20 percent, resulting in single piece flow, the concept of moving one work piece at a time between operations. He also developed a process planning system for Defense Research & Development Laboratories in India by using Visual Basic, MS Access and Solid Works '98 to generate the process plans for manufactured parts. He currently works on daily schedules at General Motors, to improve meeting customer demand by eliminating overproduction, inventory, motion, and over-processing. Balasubramani is secretary and editor of SME founding Chapter 1 in Detroit , and former secretary of the Mechanical Engineering Association. He is also something of a linguist, fluent in English, Tamil, Hindi, and Kannadei. Contact Vinoth Balasubramani: vinoth@wayne.edu
If engineering is a global force, its personification can be found in Enrique Javier Bazán-Arias, a Project Engineer at Paul C. Rizzo Associates in Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania . Born in Mexico to Peruvian parents, Bazán-Arias has been responsible for the marketing, design, and execution of projects in the United States, Honduras, El Salvador, Mexico, Chile, Peru, Venezuela, England, Germany, Italy, Spain, Malaysia, Singapore, and Madagascar. His work includes civil design, site development, prototype structures, irregular structures, forensic analysis, transient analysis, power plants, foundations, finite element analysis, automated transportation systems, such as the Pittsburgh International Airport 's underground train, and seismic upgrades, such as the Saluda Dam Remediation Project – the nation’s largest active dam project – in Columbia , South Carolina . From initial planning through design to estimating and budget development, construction sequencing, scheduling, authoring specifications, coordination of contractor activities, on-site construction management, through to closeout, Bazán-Arias’ experience includes management of all project phases in cross-functional and multi-cultural environments. His international affiliations extend beyond the engineering profession as well. He is an active member of his Spanish speaking church and the Latin American Cultural Union, performing folk dances. In 1999, his efforts in professional film and theater caught the eye of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, which listed Bazán-Arias as one of the year’s best supporting actors for his role of Narrator in "Roberto Clemente – The Measure of a Man. " He is a member of an Italian language study club, and a lifetime member of Chi Epsilon, the National Civil Engineering Honor Society. Contact Enrique Bazan-Arias: Enrique.bazan@rizzoassoc.com
Making sure cities operate smoothly and efficiently is a core component of engineering, and Nicole Brown’s efforts to revamp New York City’s water supply to handle severe drought conditions in response to the 2002 drought emergency has put her in the middle of an extraordinary engineering challenge. With a vast understanding of water treatment processes and water treatment design, Brown’s work includes scheduling, cost estimating, research, design, field work, coordination with clients, contractors, and subcontractors, technical writing, mapping, regulation compliance, and interdisciplinary coordination. The main thrust of her work for New York has been to evaluate existing conditions and design improvements for the city’s groundwater system. As project engineer for detailed design of a demonstration plant for expanding the city's drinking water supply system, she is helping to provide the design basis for selection and sizing of the treatment processes at a full-scale plant. Additionally, Brown implements ongoing community outreach for the project, regularly giving presentations at public meetings and effectively dealing with community members and elected officials. As president emeritus of the New York City Alumni chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers, Nicole Brown is also very involved in encouraging minorities to join and excel in the engineering field. Contact Nicole Brown: nbrown@pirnie.com
When a nation goes to war, so do its engineers who are responsible for infrastructure, communications, facilities, transportation and other critical needs. In the U.S. mission in Afghanistan , Mitchell Burns was part of a team to staff the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Afghanistan Area Office to support “Operation Enduring Freedom.” His mechanical engineering technical excellence and ability to work with the U.S. State Department, the U.S. Military and representatives of the Afghan government has proved to be a formidable asset in the war effort. For four months, Burns worked up to 18 hours a day, seven days a week to meet such technically challenging assignments as site investigations for the Kandahar Hospital and Kabul Military Hospital, drawing heavily on his decision-making abilities in mechanical engineering and sanitary and water systems. Among his greatest accomplishments was the renovation of Kabul Women's Hospital, the sole medical service for the women of Kabul . That work, for the Defense Department, called on him to independently research complex technical issues, utilize technical reach back to the United States, and develop the design drawings to renovate the hospital’s plumbing systems. Contact Mitchell Burns: Mitchell.j.burns@nab02.usace.army.mil
When Chris Constantin was elected president of the District Board of Trustees for the West Valley/Mission Community College District in 1999, the 22-year-old became the youngest college board president in the country. By then, of course, Constantin was something of a pro in college administration, having been elected at the age of 19 as a trustee, becoming one of the nation’s youngest elected officials. Using systems thinking skills from his industrial and systems engineering degree to keep college programs accountable, Constantin created administrative performance measures and reviewed the implications of policy decisions from the top level of this $100 million organization. In 2003, Constantin navigated the district's toughest budget crisis: 60 faculty and 75 staff were slated for layoff. He worked directly with the district chancellor, presidents, and board to secure a 7.24 percent salary rollback to secure those positions with the promise of no layoffs and a restoration of salaries if money became available. This was one of the only higher education institutions in the state of California to garner the union's acceptance of such an offer. No one was laid off and salaries are now restored. Constantin's job as a city program performance auditor finds him minimizing waste and improving both effectiveness and efficiency for San Jose . His audit of city hall security won the National Association of Local Government Auditors Special Project Award. Another project evaluating a local cleanup program helped cut costs in half while increasing performance by 40 percent. In 2003, the School of Engineering at San Jose State University named Constantin “Graduate of the Last Decade.” Engineering Dean Wei called Constantin a “Renaissance Engineer,” with a unique and unconventional approach to public service. Contact Chris Constantin: Chris.constantin@sanjoseca.gov
Richard Delp has packed a lot of achievement into ten years as an electrical engineer with Schiller and Hersh Associates (SHA), an 18-person consulting mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering firm near Philadelphia, and it hasn’t gone unnoticed. Starting as a draftsperson in 1994, he became the company’s president in January. While at SHA, Delp has handled several multi-million dollar public projects, including the design and construction management for a new 335,000-square-foot intermediate school in the Spring-Ford school district, and a $115 million multi-modal transportation facility for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority. He was also responsible for managing the replacement of many substations for the Philadelphia International Airport . Delp's professional memberships include the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, National Society of Professional Engineers, Illuminating Engineering Society, National Fire Protection Association, and the Young Engineer Advisory Council for Professional Engineers in Private Practice. He is also on the board of directors of Philadelphia Mennonite High School , a private 100-student school in Philadelphia . Contact Richard Delp: rdelp@schillerherst.com
Sound and efficient use of personnel and facilities is a cornerstone of a successful engineering firm. As a project engineer at EGE Holding in Adapazari , Turkey , Mehmet Ali Ersudas has planned and implemented preventative maintenance systems that regulate vibration control, lubrication, special valve implementations for pressure vessels, several research and development projects for the corrosive environments, maintained a CAD-based drawing system for the facility, and focused on calibration of mechanical and electrical measurement devices. Over the next year, his work will bring an estimated $600,000 in company savings. As the lead of a 30-person operation and maintenance team, Ersudas is also responsible for the design, construction and management of maintenance projects throughout the facility. His responsibility over new initiatives, as well as routine operational activities, preparing annual maintenance plans for all production units, calculating monthly maintenance and breakdown hours, and preparing diagrams following the total quality management procedures along with necessary instructions, ensures continuous company improvement. Through special training for operators on plant engineering, maintenance and occupational health and safety, Ersudas has optimized personnel and mechanical assets while controlling costs and budget. Previously, Ersudas served as an engineer lieutenant in the Turkish Army, worked with the Yildiz Technical University Graduates Association, and served as a member of the Turkish Foundation for Combating Soil Erosion, for Reforestation and the Protection of Natural Habitats. He is a member of ASME and the Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects. He recently established an Istanbul chapter of Engineers Without Borders. Contact Mehmet Ali Ersudas: aersudas@yahoo.com
The success of Hope Gibson’s projects will have long-term benefits in reducing energy waste, sustainability and maintaining heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) equipment through its life cycle. Gibson understands that business economics and the importance of comfort for facilities is a delicate balancing act. Her projects include the Southern Leadership Academy for the Jefferson County public schools, for which she was responsible for integrating existing and new HVAC systems with a new Building Automated Control Network (BACnet) Web-based direct digital control (DDC) system. BACnet is an open protocol developed under the auspices of ASHRAE as a standard for the building automation industry. When used with a web-based DDC system, this common “language” enables the end user to set up, monitor, and control how their building operates to save energy and extend the useful life of their HVAC equipment. For Gateway Technical College , she also was responsible for incorporating new BACnet Web-based DDC controls. For the Louisville Metropolitan Sewer District makeup air replacement system, she is designing the conduit layout and controls design for odor controls for the treatment plant. Gibson and another automation engineer are designing BACnet I/P graphical Web-based systems for controlling chillers, boilers, pumps, air handling units and variable air volume boxes with hot water reheat for the Muhammad Ali Museum , a $60 million facility. In total, Gibson has nearly $1 million in DDC controls currently under construction. Contact Hope Gibson: hbgibson@ectservices.com
Sometimes a simple question can lead to answers of staggering proportions. For Daniel Guido, a project manager with the National Science Foundation Center for Intelligent Maintenance Systems (IMS), a multi-campus NSF Industry/University Cooperative Research Center between the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the University of Michigan, the question came down to when to change the oil in his car. Joining IMS as an undergraduate student to pay for tuition, Guido wanted answers to such questions as “Why change my oil every 3,000 miles when all I really care about is whether or not my oil provides adequate lubrication to do the job?” And “Why can't my car tell me when to change oil based on a measure of lubrication effectiveness, thus saving money with less oil changes and longer engine life?" The center, focused on predictive maintenance technologies and tools to enable machines and systems to sustain near-zero breakdown performance, and Guido have turned out to be a perfect match. As project manager, Guido is responsible for validating IMS scientific methods in testbeds at companies such as Harley-Davidson, the U.S. Postal Service, and DaimlerChrysler. He has been involved in conducting nearly $4 million of industry-focused research for more than 40 members and sponsors around the globe. Both the center and Guido have received kudos for their work. Fortune named IMS as one of three "hot technologies for future production" in its July 2002 issue. It has also been highlighted by Forrester Research, and by Industry Week and Automation magazines. Guido has received two NSF fellowships that included work in Germany , China , and Japan . He is currently working on an MBA and co-founding a spin-off company called IMS Solutions. Contact Daniel Guido: guidocsd@uwm.edu
Mark Hersam, an Assistant Professor in Materials Science and Engineering at Northwestern University who works in single molecule devices, nanoelectronics, nanofabrication, scanning probe microscopy, semiconductor surfaces, and carbon nanotubes, may not be the average person’s idea of a cover celebrity, but in his field, that’s exactly where you’ll find him. In 2004, his work in silicon-based molecular electronics has been recognized on the covers of the professional journals Nano Letters (January), Nanotechnology (July) and Applied Physics Letters (October). It’s really par for the course for Hersam, who was named by Chicago ’s 606 magazine as one of the city’s outstanding “30 Under 30” – the only engineer to make the list. Since joining Northwestern University in 2000, Dr. Hersam has been honored with the Beckman Young Investigator Award, National Science Foundation Career Award, Searle Center for Teaching Excellence Fellowship, Materials Science and Engineering Teacher of the Year Award, and Associated Student Government Faculty Honor Roll. Dr. Hersam has given 67 invited lectures around the world and has published 34 papers in international journals. The Hersam Research Group (www.hersam-group.northwestern.edu/) – five postdoctorates, 12 graduate students, and nine undergraduate students – is funded by several government agencies, private foundations, and industry. Contact Dr. Hersam: m-hersam@northwestern.edu
A crucial element of good design is understanding the behind-the-scenes needs and motivations of those that use the product. This principal has been at heart of Peter G. Hwang’s success as an industrial design engineer at the Hewlett-Packard Company in Vancouver , Washington . While others may be content to seek inspiration at desks inside cubicles, Hwang advocates that designers get out into the field and find out what really works – and what doesn’t – through firsthand ethnographic observation of users in their day to day environments. That philosophy has led to numerous product awards and 20 utility and design patents, with 19 more pending, for Hwang. He was lead designer on five products that have gone to market, including four HP Deskjet printers and the HP Officejet 5510, the world's smallest all-in-one printer with an automatic sheet feeder. He co-invented HP's first disappearing space-saver paper trays and is lead designer on several user experience design projects in the HP pipeline. Hwang’s product honors include the Innovations Design and Engineering Showcase Award from the 2003 Consumer Electronics Show; the iF Design Award from the International Forum Design Hanover; the Good Design Award from the Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design; and the 3M Integrity Award from the Institute of Packaging Professionals. He was also runner-up for the Excellence in Design Award from Appliance Manufacturer magazine and recipient of Hewlett-Packard Company's Customer Experience Award of Excellence. In 2003, Hwang, a member of the Industrial Designers Society of America, was promoted to the job classification of “expert.” Contact Peter Hwang: Pete.hwang@gmail.com
A major factor in the U.S. Army’s ability to effectively defend is its network of airfields. Lucy Phillips’ expertise in Army airfield research recognizes and stresses the need to evaluate airfields with an organized, holistic and systematic approach to save resources regardless of location or situation. This is among her primary contributions since joining the Army’s Engineer Research and Development Center. Along with her new take on evaluating airfields, Phillips also reassessed orientation of new employees at the center. When she began at ERDC, she felt she lacked sufficient guidance. To meet that need, Phillips created a new employee handbook to introduce new employees to the work environment and community. Phillips is also heavily involved with encouraging young engineering students and other young people considering the profession. She regularly conducts tours of research facilities for visiting university groups. She uses her membership in the University of Mississippi 's engineering alumni board to ensure ample funding and alumni participation with student activities. During National Engineers Week 2004, she helped locate young engineers to speak at local schools and to Mississippi Public Television. She herself speaks at local schools and represents ERDC at numerous school and community career/science fairs. Phillips is currently earning a Master's degree in engineering and serves as president of the Vicksburg branch of the American Society of Civil Engineers. Contact Lucy Phillips: Lucy.d.phillips@erdc.usace.army.mil
For some people, professional challenges lead to frustration. For Stephanie Swindle, they only stoke enthusiasm that has provided an engineering knowledge base that promises a bright future of unlimited possibilities. Starting with a basic interest in robotics, Swindle has worked in industry and academia investigating a broad range of problems in medicine, aerospace, chemistry and energy production as a springboard for an ever widening scope of research, analysis and results. Her work has led her to publish and present 16 papers on her research. Her work-related accomplishments include coordinating major plant upgrades, direct supervision of 15 mechanics, and shared management of 70 people while supervising the generation of power at the E.C. Gaston Steam Plant, responsible for providing power to a large portion of Alabama and Georgia . Her skills have been applied to company website development, safety program coordination, development of plant system graphical interface programming, regulatory and compliance assurance, and outage support (on call 24/7 via global beeper). Swindle also participates on an advisory team to the president of the 6000-employee company. Contact Stephanie Swindle: shswindl@southernco.com |
LTJG Gabriel B. Alvillar
Vinoth Mani Balasubramani
Mitchell Burns
Mehmet Ali Ersudas
Hope Gibson, EIT
Daniel Guido
Mark Hersam, Ph.D.
Lucy Phillips
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National Engineers Week Foundation
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