OU Engineering

Sarah Hobson is a senior, double majoring in environmental engineering and global resources energy and minoring in German. She has completed multiple internships at the Eisenmann Corporation, National Science Foundation, the Wild Care Foundation and Oklahoma Water Survey, and is co-founder of Menstrual Mates, LLC. She is currently a peer learning assistant, a nationally certified tutor and peer learning mentor in Chemistry and German as well as an undergraduate researcher, while also volunteering at Wild Care and Gardens for Good. Gardens for Good is a project began by Sarah in March of 2020 after being sent back from Puebla, Mexico due to the pandemic. She builds gardens for individuals and families in the Norman and OKC communities, for free, to fight food insecurity and to empower individuals to grow their own food. During her senior year, Sarah has participated in both the Environmental Science Students Association and Sooner Engineers Without Borders as service chair. She is also ...

Back row from left: Amin Alhashim, Mastoor Abushaega and Reza Alizadeh; Front row from left: Hamidreza Samadi, Alireza Rangrazjeddi, Nafiseh Ghorbani Renani, Leili Soltanisehat, Deniz Emre and Ghaneshvar Ramineni Chittibabu Naidu Informs, celebrating its 25th anniversary, is a national organization of operations research and analytics professionals who, according to their website, work to solve problems, find solutions and make a difference in how the world works. The OU Informs student chapter, consisting of doctoral students in industrial and systems engineering, has been recognized and selected for its achievement and involvement at the Magna cum laude level.

Ricardo Palma, OU School of Industrial and Systems Engineering doctoral student and graduate research assistant from Caracas, Venezuela, has been recognized for his technical presentations. He is advised by ISE Associate Professor Ziho Kang. Palma answered a few questions about his student experience. How did you learn about OU/ISE and why did you choose to study at OU? I decided to pursue a degree in industrial and systems engineering as it's a career path that emphasizes an interdisciplinary systems-thinking methodology to solving real-world complex problems in a sustainable manner -- important tools that will be needed to solve the major engineering problems of the 21st century. Within this broad area, my focus lies in the human aspect of systems to tackle questions such as: how we adapt to environments, what affects and guides our performance in a task, how can we adequately define and measure skill/expertise in semantically rich environments, among others. I chose to continue ...

The University of Oklahoma Regents' Alumni Awards honor individuals, either alumni or friends of the University of Oklahoma, who have given generously of their time and services to the University. Recipients are honored each year, receive a plaque and have their names added to a permanent plaque in the Oklahoma Memorial Union. Laura Lopez earned her Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering in 2006. She entered OU with a strong academic and leadership record having been honored as one of Yukon High School’s Valedictorians. As an engineering student, Laura rose as a leader on campus and in the College of Engineering activities beginning her freshman year in Engineers’ Club, which serves all engineering students.  As a freshman, she served as Open House Chair and Casino Night Chair. As a sophomore, she served as 2nd Vice President coordinating the game day hamburger feed fundraisers. Her Junior year, she served as Engineers’ Week Chair and as a senior, Engineers’ Club President. Sh...

In 2015, the Gallogly College Pursuit of Excellence Awards were established to honor those who have regularly and unselfishly served our college with excellence in all they do and in motivating others.  Cheryl Carney Assistant to the Director School of Industrial and Systems Engineering Cheryl has served as the assistant to the director for the School of Industrial and Systems Engineering for fifteen years. She has been diligent in administering external research grants, student payrolls, software licensing agreements, equipment calibration schedules, and faculty travel (including candidate visits for faculty positions and graduate seminar speakers).  In balancing and managing accounts, she shows magnificent attention to detail. She is an outstanding communicator, pleasant, helpful and always keeps her cheer and sense of humor. No one works harder, more efficiently and effectively. It is very rare to find a person with such a combination of skills, abilities, and willingness....

Two students were recognized at the University of Oklahoma's Senior Awards Ceremony in November. Sarah Hobson Gallogly College of Engineering Outstanding Senior Sarah is a senior, majoring in Environmental Engineering, Global Energy, Environmental, and Resources Studies. She has had multiple internships at the Eisenmann Corporation, National Science Foundation, the Wild Care Foundation and Oklahoma Water Survey, and is co-founder of Menstrual Mates, LLC.  She is currently a Peer Learning Assistant, a nationally certified tutor and Peer Learning Mentor in Chemistry and German as well as an undergraduate researcher, while also volunteering at Wild Care and Gardens for Good.  Gardens for Good is a project started by Sarah in March of 2020 after being sent back from Puebla, Mexico due to the pandemic.  She builds gardens for individuals and families in the Norman and OKC communities, for free, to fight food insecurity and to empower individuals to grow their own food. During ...

Photo credit: Peter Molick/ petermolick.com Gallogly Hall has earned the University of Oklahoma its first LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council for its environmentally conscious design and sustainability practices. Completed and opened to occupants in July 2019, Gallogly Hall is home to engineers of all disciplines at OU. LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is the most widely used green building rating system in the world and is a globally recognized symbol of sustainability achievement. Green building aims to identify solutions that balance environmental, social and economic needs throughout the planning, design, construction and operation of built structures. Projects pursing LEED certification earn points across categories that pertain to site, water, energy, materials, indoor air and innovation. “Taking a project through the LEED certification process is rigorous and challenging,” said Eric Conrad, OU vice president for operations and...

Two engineering educators at the University of Oklahoma have been selected as inductees into the 2020 Oklahoma Higher Education Hall of Fame for their distinctive achievements and contributions to higher education. David Sabatini, founding director of the Water Technologies for Emerging Regions Center and associate director of the Institute for Applied Surfactant Research in the Gallogly College of Engineering; and Daniel Resasco, Gallogly Chair of Chemical Engineering in the Gallogly College of Engineering; are among this year’s 11 inductees. “We are incredibly proud of Dr. Sabatini and Dr. Resasco, who have worked hard throughout their careers to earn this prestigious honor,” said OU President Joseph Harroz Jr. “Their selection is a testament to their commitment to their students, research and the University of Oklahoma. We are fortunate to have world-class faculty like them who help advance our sacred purpose.” Since 1994, the Oklahoma Higher Education Society has recognized individ...

Rachel Penner is a junior from Albuquerque, New Mexico, majoring in engineering physics with a specialization in aerospace. When she read about the Women in Research and Engineering Development scholarship in the Women of Aeronautics and Astronautics monthly newsletter, she decided to apply.  Upon notification that she was awarded the $1,000 WiRED scholarship from Emergent Space Technologies, she felt honored.  "I think it's great that Emergent Space Technologies is supporting young women engineers in a field that is traditionally so male-dominated," Penner said. Penner has always  been fascinated by aerospace, particularly outer space and space exploration. She chose to major in Engineering Physics with an aerospace engineering specialization to better understand the fundamental physical principles behind practical applications of aerospace engineering. She would love to someday work on a project to further crewed spaceflight to Mars and beyond. 

Justin Metcalf, assistant professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering in the Gallogly College of Engineering at the University of Oklahoma, has received a Young Faculty Award from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. In recent years, commercial and military demand for using the electromagnetic spectrum has exploded. Mobile devices, digital audio and streaming platforms compete with military needs for communications and intelligence. Metcalf’s research project explores how the electromagnetic spectrum has become critically congested. “This is a spectacular honor and a very competitive award from the Department of Defense,” said Tomás Díaz de la Rubia, OU vice president for research and partnerships. “To have the University of Oklahoma represented in this program is a boon for the university and the state for advancing defense and national security research.” “Just like your favorite radio or TV station, users of the electromagnetic spectrum traditional...

On February 27, 2020, the Jerry Holmes Leadership Program held its third biennial Holmes Leadership Symposium. Organized around the theme “Leadership for a Changing World," the symposium explored diversity in leadership and the role of leaders in building inclusive cultures, meaningful relationships, high-performing teams, and successful organizations. Over 250 students and professionals participated in the day-long event. The symposium was underwritten by premier sponsors BP and Northrop Grumman, session sponsor Shell, and JHLP annual sponsors Boeing, Gen. Jerry Holmes, Bill Kennedy, and Ben and Laura Lopez. Speaker Robin Minthorn and OU Tribal Liaison  Warren Queton Dr. Robin Minthorn (University of Washington Tacoma) delivered the lunchtime plenary address, “Centering an Indigenous Leadership Perspective." A citizen of the Kiowa tribe of Oklahoma and a descendant of the Umatilla/Nez Perce/Apache and Assiniboine Nations, Dr. Minthorn took the audience throug...

Computer Science senior Jack Williams, from Bartlesville, Oklahoma, has received the Grand Prize and a $500 cash award for his presentation, one of 142 submissions, in the 2020 OU Online Undergraduate Research Day. The presentation, "Modeling a Green Supply Chain," describes  modeling how a green supply chain, which minimizes emissions, differs from a typical supply chain, known to minimize the retailer's operating cost. The research consisted of building a theoretical model for the supply chain, then creating the model in a computer program. Next, the model was applied to population density data to discover the appearance of the green supply chain. Results were compared to traditional supply chains. The research project, completed during the 2019-2020 academic year, was conceived by Reza Alizadeh, doctoral candidate in the School of Industrial and Systems Engineering, who together with ISE Professor Janet Allen and Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering Professor...

After a national search, Trish Bloemker Sowers has been named Executive Director of Development for the Gallogly College of Engineering, effective April 20. Sowers is an OU alumnus having earned her B.A. in Political Communication and Political Science. She brings an abundance of experience and knowledge from her career in fundraising. Previous roles include director of Development for the University of Denver’s Pacific Northwest Region, executive director of the California 4-H Foundation, director of Development and Strategy for Carnegie Mellon’s College of Engineering and senior development officer for Missouri University of Science and Technology. In addition, she served in leadership roles for non-profit associations including president of the Denver Advertising Federation; executive director of the Associated Builders and Contractors, Rocky Mountain Chapter; interim executive director of Chi Phi Fraternity and director of Student Activities and Greek Affairs at Colorado School o...

As the nation works to alleviate the widespread shortage of protective gear and critical equipment for health care workers and first responders, the 3D printing community, manufacturers and hobbyists are stepping in to help. With countless blueprints to choose from, identifying the safest and most effective designs is essential. More than 40 individuals from across the University of Oklahoma’s three campuses have combined their expertise to develop, prototype, validate and offer recommended essential equipment designs, available at ou.edu/foroklahoma . Nathan Herring, a tech lead with the Tom Love Innovation Hub and aerospace engineering senior in the Gallogly College of Engineering, uses a palm router and pattern bit  to build a prototype of an isolation box used to protect medical personnel caring for COVID-19 patients. “The speed and effectiveness with which the research and innovation communities across OU have come together to respond to these critical needs in th...

Two of the University of Oklahoma's three 2020 Goldwater Scholars are students in the Gallogly College of Engineering. Daniel Cheong and Emily Thomas have been named Goldwater Scholars in a prestigious national competition that recognizes outstanding achievements in science and mathematics.  They are among 396 students nationwide to be selected this year out of more than 1,300 nominees representing 461 institutions. Cheong and Thomas, both from Oklahoma, bring OU’s total number of Goldwater Scholarship winners to 58 since the inception of the scholarship in 1986. “We are extremely proud of Daniel and Emily for earning the prestigious Goldwater Scholarship,” said OU Interim President Joseph Harroz Jr. “Their achievements are not only a testament to their hard work and determination, but also recognize their potential as future researchers and the undeniable impact they will have on society.” Named for former U.S. Sen. Barry Goldwater, the Goldwater Scholarships...

Jeff Basara NORMAN, OKLA. – You don’t have to look far to find news, opinions and studies about our world’s changing climate and its effects on humans. But what is less accessible is how a changing climate impacts beef cattle production. A team of scientists and researchers from across the region set out to answer this and other questions during the Great Plains Grazing project funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Jeff Basara is an associate professor at the University of Oklahoma School of Meteorology and School of Civil Engineering and Environmental Science who was a project investigator and team leader during the five-year study. The project consisted of teams from four universities, the USDA and the Noble Research Institute. Basara and five OU graduate students focused on climate variability, including drought and excessive rainfall, how and when those extremes occur, and associated impacts on the agricultural industry. “We know precipitation...