OU Engineering

New life is being brought to the Tar Creek Superfund Site in far northeastern Oklahoma. It's the nation's worst toxic waste site. Plans are now underway to build a second water treatment site.  Funding has been requested for a third.   View the video . about Dr. Robert Nairn and team's great work to bring new life to the Tar Creek Superfund Site, one gallon of clear water at a time. By Charles Ely, Channel 8, ABC Tulsa

Whether it is malicious or an act of Mother Nature, an infrastructure attack could cripple the nation as more people depend on the interconnected services such as water, electricity, communication, transportation and health care. University of Oklahoma School of Industrial and Systems Engineering researcher Kash Barker is leading a team to evaluate how analytics from multiple sources can increase network resilience. The National Science Foundation project, titled “Resilience Analytics: A Data-Driven Approach for Enhanced Interdependent Network Resilience,” is a cooperative research effort between OU Gallogly College of Engineering colleague Charles Nicholson and researchers at the University of Virginia, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Stevens Institute of Technology, Penn State University, Virginia Tech and the University of North Texas. “Resilience is broadly defined as the ability of a system to withstand the effects of a disruption and then recover rapidly and efficien...

University of Oklahoma researchers Jim Chamberlain, center, and David Sabatini, right, are a part of a project that seeks to correct elevated fluoride levels in water in Ethiopia's Great Rift Valley. BY SILAS ALLEN Staff Writer sallen@oklahoman.com | July 26, 2015 After six years and several trips to the east African nation, a University of Oklahoma project that seeks to improve water quality in a region of Ethiopia is beginning to take shape. Researchers from OU’s WaTER Center visited the country this summer as a part of the center’s effort to help rural communities in Ethiopia’s Great Rift Valley deal with elevated levels of fluoride in the area’s water. Read more.

The demand for highly purified biological products for commercial and consumer use has increased significantly over the past decade, leaving a widening gap between the application and engineers trained in the process. To respond to the growing need to separate and purify these bioproducts, Roger Harrison, University of Oklahoma College of Engineering professor in the School of Chemical, Biological and Materials Engineering and also in the Biomedical Engineering Center, has released a revised edition of the book “Biosepartions Science and Engineering” along with co-authors Paul Todd, Scott Rudge and Demetri Petrides. New to the second edition are updated descriptions of the important chromatography separation method, which is required for the purification of bioproducts that must be injected into the bloodstream. As in the first edition, the various operations in bioseparation processes are explained by first developing the scientific basis and mathematical th...

President Boren announces historic $30 million in gifts to the College of Engineering University of Oklahoma President David L. Boren today announced more than $30 million in new resources to benefit OU students in engineering and related fields on the Norman campus, including construction of a new academic building in the Engineering Quadrangle, creation of a School of Biomedical Engineering, establishment of 12 new endowed positions and formation of a $3.5 million endowment for graduate fellowships. The resources are being made possible through major gifts from Jim Gallogly of Houston and Peggy and Charles Stephenson of Tulsa. A New Academic Building In addition to serving the full College of Engineering community, the new academic building to be constructed will house the new School of Biomedical Engineering, which will integrate engineering and medicine and will further develop three areas of existing strength in the College of Engineering: biomedical imaging, nanomedicine...

Jessica Ruyle, electrical and computer engineering professor in the University of Oklahoma College of Engineering, is improving communication abilities for soldiers in the field by literally reshaping how they transmit communications. With a nearly $500,000 grant from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Ruyle will design and develop a thin, flat antenna that can be placed conformably on anything from vehicles to uniforms – making the antennas both less conspicuous and more rugged for field use. “The design is similar to a sticker that is flexible and can conform to a variety of surfaces and shapes,” Ruyle explained. “What makes it radical is that it is a completely different antenna than what is currently being used in our nation’s defense.” Invented in the late 1800s, whip antennae have been a staple in military communications. Inexpensive production cost and easy installation has kept the metal antenna in military use for more than 80 years wi...

DALLAS (March 4, 2015) – Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) today announced that Patrice Tompkins-Everidge has been elected vice president of the company. Tompkins-Everidge serves as worldwide Environmental Safety and Health (ESH) director and is responsible for ensuring the safety and health of TIers working in over 250 sites worldwide while also ensuring that TI complies with environmental laws in the countries in which it does business. Tompkins-Everidge joined TI in 1997 as an ESH manager for TI’s non-manufacturing sites. She has since held a number of positions within ESH, including worldwide facilities project engineer and ESH manager for TI’s DMOS5 manufacturing facility. Tompkins-Everidge most recently served as worldwide ESH risk & compliance manager. Tompkins-Everidge earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from The University of Oklahoma. About Texas Instruments Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) is a global semiconductor design and manufacturing company t...

University of Oklahoma honors student Ben Toms had been named one of two 2015 Goldwater Scholars, placing OU in the top ranks of universities nationally with 48 Goldwater Scholars since the competition began in 1991. The prestigious scholarships are awarded on the basis of potential and intent to pursue careers in mathematics, the natural sciences or engineering. “The University is extremely proud of Brandon Curd and Ben Toms,” said OU President David L. Boren. “They are continuing OU’s winning tradition nationally in the competition for Goldwater Scholars.” Toms, a junior from Aurora, Colorado, maintains a 4.0 grade-point average and is pursuing degrees in civil engineering and meteorology. He has extensive research experience, including a project detecting black ice on Oklahoma roads with Jeffrey Basara, OU associate professor of meteorology and director of research for the Oklahoma Climatological Survey, and Yang Hong, professor of civil engineering and environmental s...

--> The Information and Telecommunications Education and Research Association   (ITERA) honored Pramode Verma, Ph.D., Director of Telecommunications Engineering at   the University of Oklahoma – Tulsa, with its 2015 Distinguished Service Award for lifetime contributions to education and research. Dr. Verma received the award at ITERA’s annual conference in Washington, D.C., on March 28.  ITERA is a non-profit academic association representing colleges and universities with degree programs focused on telecommunications, networking, information and computer science.   “ITERA is excited to recognize Dr. Verma,” said Michael Bowman, Ph.D., Chairman of the ITERA Board of Directors. “For more than 40 years, he’s made significant contributions to the telecommunications industry and the education of young women and men in the U.S. and Canada. We’re especially happy to acknowledge and commemorate his service with this award.” “I’m deeply honored to be rec...

An innovative technique that enhances breast cancer detection while reducing radiation dose has been proposed by a University of Oklahoma research team.   In response, the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health has awarded a $3 million grant to the OU team to facilitate the technique, which includes building a patient imaging system and conducting preclinical evaluations and Phase I clinical trials. The grant was awarded to a research team led by Hong Liu, professor of electrical and computer engineering in the OU College of Engineering, to translate a specific phase-sensitive X-ray technique to clinical practice to reduce radiation dose and imprliuove accuracy in breast cancer diagnosis.   Liu is also a member of the Stephenson Cancer Center, located at the OU Health Sciences Center. “This technique can greatly enhance tissue contrast and significantly reduce radiation dose as compared to current methods,” says Liu. ...

Scott Lowe graduated from OU in 2012 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering Physics. Scott describes himself, according to his LinkedIn profile, as a recklessly idealistic, generally irreverent, student of life. We caught up with Scott in Detroit and asked him a few questions. How did your OU degree in engineering physics prepare you for your career? Physics was always about finding solutions for me. My physics degree helped me hone my problem solving skills, and in my day-to-day as a software engineer, those skills come in handy. How did your involvement in the CCEW (Center for the Creation of Economic Wealth) while a student at OU impact you? CCEW taught me the value of a good team. It was my first real exposure to start-ups and business. In that way, CCEW started me down my current path. Where have you been since OU? Where are you now? Detroit Describe your experience as a fellow with Venture For America. My VFA fellowship provided me with the start-up training, c...

Institute of Industrial Engineers Elects New Officers: The new senior vice president, academics, is Randa Shehab. Shehab is the Nettie Vincent Boggs Professor of Engineering at the University of Oklahoma. She holds B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees, all in industrial engineering, from the University of Oklahoma. http://www.prweb.com/releases/2015/02/prweb12523602.htm

By Danielle Geier   The AME family lost one of its valuable members, Dr. Charles W. Bert, on February 3, 2015. Bert began his journey at the University of Oklahoma in 1963, where he served the School of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering as a Professor for 41 years before retiring in 2004. During this time, Bert served as Director from 1972-1978 and again in 1990-1995. He also held the Benjamin H. Perkinson Chair during his time at AME. In 1981, he was the recipient of the highest recognition for research at the University of Oklahoma—the George Lynn Cross Research Professorship. He was inducted into the Oklahoma Higher Education Hall of Fame in 2011. “I am deeply saddened to lose one of our best. Charlie was a giant in the broad field of mechanics and composite materials,” said M. Cengiz Altan, AME Director. “He has been such a positive influence on me since I started my career at OU. He has always been supportive and provided encouragement to many ...

Joshua Tingle, of Sulphur, sets up one section of his team’s entry in the Rube Goldberg challenge portion of the Summer Bridge Program for incoming students who will be part of the College of Engineering’s freshman class. Photo credit: Steve Sisney, The Oklahoman Bridging the Gap  By Sarah Lobban Rube Goldberg would have loved the competition that tops off the summer program offered by the OU College of Engineering to its entering freshmen. By Sarah Lobban The main bay in the ExxonMobil Lawrence G. Rawl Engineering Practice Facility looks like a cross between a mad scientist’s lair and a modern art installation. A crowd of people watch from the balcony as the first of six bizarre and intricate contraptions is set in motion. Read more.