Ashley Rovder: Engineering Edible Algae in Bolivia
04/23/2018
Ashley Rovder, an Environmental Engineering major, took part in a unique full-immersion study abroad experience in Bolivia. The experience was made possible through a collaboration between Ƶ and the University of Dayton’s Engineers in Technical Humanitarian Opportunities in Service Learning (ETHOS) project. Below, Ashley discusses her experience abroad. What service project did you work on while in Bolivia? I volunteered for SODIS (short for Solar Water Disinfection), a nonprofit organization in Cochabamba, Bolivia, that focuses on providing clean water for the community
The 2010 BP Oil Spill: A Petroleum Engineer’s Perspective
04/18/2018
Four students in the Environmental Petroleum Engineering course presented their final class project on the explosion and oil spill that occurred from the massive, mobile oil rig, Deepwater Horizon. Nicholas King, Connor Witman, Jan Vit Suntar, and Jonathan Bruno presented a petroleum engineer's perspective explaining what happened during the catastrophic BP oil spill in 2010. They examined what went wrong, what the environmental impacts were, and what lessons can be learned from this disaster. The students reported eight things that went wrong causing the oil well to leak for 87 days spilling
Gaming Club
03/22/2018
Formed five years ago by a small group of friends in the Computer Science Program , the Gaming Club brought together students who shared a love of video games. The gaming club doesn’t just play games, they also do a lot for the campus and community. Currently, there’s about twenty active members that meet weekly to plan activities. When many think of gaming, they think of video games. But the club also plays tabletop games such as Dungeons and Dragons and Magic: The Gathering, as well as livestreaming party games such as Super Smash Bros., Mario Party, and Mario Kart. Most gaming sessions will
Mock Interviews for Engineering Students
03/20/2018
Mr. David Bolt, Vice President of Cormorant Engineering, visited Ƶ to do mock interviews with students during the week of March 12th. Bolt has over 30 years of experience in hiring both prospective and veteran engineers. The one-on-one interviews were also filmed for further learning feedback. The purpose of filming the interviews is not for students to manage their behavior, but instead to see how they appear and to notice any nervous habits of which they might not have been aware. Mr. Bolt encourages the students to review the videos, but not have too narrow of a focus
Brandon Fiume: Focusing on Multiple Tracks
03/20/2018
There are many “ifs” to Brandon Fiume’s approach to photography. If he picked the right location, if the weather cooperates, if his camera settings are correct, and if the train is running on time, he may get another award-winning photo of freight or passenger train. Brandon's desire to learn something new helped him discover his creative side and “think outside the box…car.” A knack for experimenting The Junior Computer Science major always enjoyed problem solving. “When I was young I would open up a spreadsheet, enter values and try to make the numbers achieve a desired result,” remembers
Ryan Alu: Making the Most of Every Minute
03/08/2018
Ryan Alu is an ambitious student. In high school, Ryan maintained a 4.2 grade point average and took thirteen Advanced Placement tests earning him enough credits to take on a triple major at SFU and still graduate within four years. The Center for Academic Success works with incoming Freshmen to make sure they are getting the most out of their college education. Dr. Renee Bernard, Associate Dean of Instruction at the Center, recalled her first meeting with Ryan to discuss his course load. "Ryan came to me during orientation on his own initiative. Some freshmen coming in with credits will
Staci Shoemaker: Changing the World
02/11/2018
In the town of Sabana Grande, a small agricultural based community in Nicaragua, the most common method for sanitation is pit latrines. Basically, it’s an outhouse over a hole dug in the ground. When full, the hole is simply covered and a new hole is dug. When the pits are dug in the ground and not lined by concrete or bricks, they risk groundwater contamination into the community wells used by residents. Staci Shoemaker, a Junior Environmental Engineering major at Ƶ, along with two students from the University of Dayton, were a part of the Engineers in Technical
PNGE Program Receives Software Valued at Nearly $60 Million
02/08/2018
Schlumberger , the world’s leading supplier of technology solutions in the oil and gas industry once again made a generous donation of their nearly $60 million software package to be used by Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering undergraduates at Ƶ. The donation provides 15 licenses and a maintenance contract for the next three years for different Schlumberger software products such as PETREL, ECLIPSE, PIPESIM, VISAGE, MEPO,INTERSECT, and MANGROVE. Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering Seniors, Zach Rohland and John Sheesley, started working with the software PETREL in
Hoop House Offers Students Experience, Fresh Food Options
01/24/2018
Students in the Environmental Studies program can now apply their lessons in homesteading and sustainability in a newly built greenhouse—or its proper term, hoop house. The steel-framed, tented tunnel was built on the university grounds near Torvian Dining Hall—a fitting location, as the Torvian chefs will soon be cooking with the fresh produce grown inside the modern structure. Dr. Lauri Chose , Director of the Environmental Studies program, is looking forward to the many opportunities the hoop house will provide for her students. “It allows us to work with our growing seasons instead of
PNGE Program Receives Grant for Undergraduate Research
12/14/2017
Dr. Alireza Shahkarami, Assistant Professor of Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering program, received a $70,000 grant from the American Chemical Society’s (ACS) Petroleum Research Fund for Undergraduate Research. The three-year grant allows Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering students to conduct research titled “An Experimental Investigation of Microemulsion Phase Behavior at High Pressure and High Temperature Conditions.” Dr. Shahkarami’s research proposal aims to investigate the effect of the water/oil ratio, pressure, temperature, and oil composition on surfactant phase behavior.