OU Engineering

University of Oklahoma student teams won top honors, including the OG&E Positive Energy Award, at the 2011 Donald W. Reynolds Governor’s Cup Collegiate Business Plan Competition in Oklahoma City on April 14. Students from OU’s Center for the Creation of Economic Wealth and the Price College of Business spent months developing business plans for real-world technologies that hope to create jobs for the state of Oklahoma. "This sweeping victory in the Governor's Cup Competition is another example of OU's national leadership in business and entrepreneurship education in practical programs,” said OU President David L. Boren. “On behalf of the OU family, I congratulate all students who are members of our championship teams," he said. Almost 40 teams from college campuses across the state were given the opportunity to write business plans and make a pitch for investments that can be used to implement their ideas. These teams competed for more than $120,000 in cash an...

Chase Cook/The Daily Thursday, April 14, 2011 Stephen McCollam, mechanical engineering senior; Michael Hendrick, civil engineering junior; and Stephen Collins, civil engineering sophomore sand the sides of a canoe constructed with concrete. A team of engineering students built the canoe to compete in the regional of the National Concrete Canoe Competition on April 28 at Kansas State University. Civil engineering junior Jason Kilpatrick leans over the side of a canoe on the first floor of the ExxonMobil Engineering Practice Facility. He works quickly to smooth out the side of the canoe before it dries. As he smooths the edges, part of the canoe starts to fall off. “I need some more water over here — this part is falling off!” Kilpatrick says to one of his team members. The teammate sprays water on the crumbling area while Kilpatrick struggles with the thickening material in his hands. Kilpatrick and his team are building a canoe for a national engineering competition, but they aren’t w...

April 10, 2011 Meghan McCormick The Norman Transcript NORMAN — A student organization from the University of Oklahoma found a way to give back to the Norman community on Saturday. Members of the American Indian Science and Engineering Society arrived at the J.D. McCarty Center ready to plant a vegetable garden for patients. The center cares for children with developmental disabilities. Zach Dunn, a member of the American Indian Science and Engineering Society, said the organization participates in a community service event each year. “They had a job for us so we came out,” Dunn said. Volunteers spent Saturday morning leveling the ground and creating a flat base for the garden. Students expected to plant produce in the afternoon. Dunn said past projects have included helping residents with indoor and outdoor home repairs. “We like giving back, it’s nice,” he said. Jennifer Giamelle, J.D. McCarty Center volunteer coordinator, appreciated the group stepping up to help the center. “They al...

April 11, 2011 CONTACT: The University of Oklahoma, Public Affairs, (405) 325-1701 NORMAN – University of Oklahoma honors student Eddie Shimp of McAlester has been named a 2011 Goldwater Scholar. His selection brings to 31 the number of OU students named to that honor since 1995 and places OU in the top ranks of universities nationally. The prestigious scholarships are awarded on the basis of potential and intent to pursue careers in mathematics, the natural sciences or engineering. “The entire university congratulates Eddie Shimp on this signal honor,” said OU President David L. Boren. “His selection continues OU’s national prominence in the selection of Goldwater Scholars in math and science.” Shimp holds a 4.0 grade-point average and is a pursuing a degree in chemical engineering with an emphasis on biotechnology and a minor in mathematics. Currently working with David Schmidtke, director of the OU Bioengineering Center and associate professor of chemical, biological and materials ...

Letter to the Editor of the Tulsa World : By David Sabatini, Norman Published: 4/10/2011 4:41 AM Last Modified: 4/10/2011 4:41 AM Natural disasters usually spark a rush of response. Hearing stories of a friend's daughter, who was in Japan when the tragedy struck and has since had trouble finding clean water, or from friends in New Zealand who had to dig a hole in their backyard for human waste because the sewage system was inoperable, makes us want to help. However, we sometimes forget there are from 1 billion to 2 billion people who don't have access to safe drinking water - every day, not because of a natural disaster. World Water Day was March 22 and it raised awareness of these issues. More than 2 million deaths a year occur in developing countries for those who never have access to safe drinking water - that translates to a child dying every 15 seconds due to lack of something we take for granted. In these countries, it's hard to develop as a nation when the majority...

Apr 6, 2011 12:56 PM By Rong Z. Gan, Professor of Biomedical and Mechanical Engineering - University of Oklahoma rgan@ou.edu Biomedical researcher and University of Oklahoma Professor of Biomedical and Mechanical Engineering Rong Gan (right) listens as a colleague discusses auditory research. Biomedical researcher and University of Oklahoma Professor of Biomedical and Mechanical Engineering Rong Gan (right) listens as a colleague discusses auditory research. Editor’s note: The author led the University of Oklahoma research team responsible for the technology described in this article. Challenges associated with developing the ideal implantable hearing device (fully implanted and acceptable by patients who are uncomfortable with conventional hearing aids) are three-fold: 1) minimize risks to patient’s hearing and nerves within the ear so that the driving system of the device fits the restrictions of the middle ear size with life-time function stability; 2) lower the costs associated wit...

Cornell physicist Paul McEuen's first techno-thriller novel “Spiral” had Oklahoma roots. BY DAVID ZIZZO dzizzo@opubco.com Oklahoman Published: March 22, 2011 Paul McEuen is curious about a lot of stuff. Tiny drums and the end of the world, for instance. "Spiral" book cover Provided by Random House Publishing - Provided by Random House Publish I thought, ‘I can write something about nano stuff that would be a little bit closer to the truth and still be exciting.'” Paul McEuen As a physics professor and nanoscience researcher at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., McEuen, 47, has stretched atom-thick graphene paper to make, and even play, a microscopic drum, a process that might someday change microelectronics. “We call that science, interestingly enough,” he said. And the world-ending thing? That's more of a creative flight of fantasy, one McEuen has taken at least twice. The first time was when he was 12, growing up in south Oklahoma City. “He wrote a kind of d...