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On Sept. 13, James L. and Katherine S. Melsa Dean of Engineering Sarah Rajala welcomed the college community to the new academic year, celebrated the accomplishments of last year, set out goals for the coming year and recognized college award winners:

New Named Faculty Position

• David Sanders, Greenwood Department Chair in Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering
• Rodney Fox, Hershel B. Whitney Professorship, Global Initiatives in Chemical and Biological Engineering

Faculty and Staff Awards

D.R. Boylan Eminent Faculty Award for Research

• Kejin Wang, Wilson Professor of Engineering, civil, construction and environmental engineering

Dean’s Diversity and Inclusion Excellence Award

• Michelle Soupir, associate professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering
• Stephen Gilbert, associate professor of industrial and manufacturing systems

Dean’s Staff Excellence Award

• Mike Renze, system support specialist in industrial and manufacturing systems

Early Career Engineering Faculty Research Award

• Jonathan Claussen, assistant professor of mechanical engineering

Superior Engineering Teacher Award

• Nataliya Altukhova, lecturer in aerospace engineering
• Larry Cormicle, senior lecturer in civil, construction and environmental engineering
• Paola Pittoni, lecturer in mechanical engineering

Superior Engineering Extension Award

• Matthew Darr, professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering

Superior Engineering Advisor Award

• Brad Eilers, academic advisor in aerospace engineering
• Jessica Van Winkle, former academic advisor in mechanical engineering

Patent Awards

• Matthew Darr, professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering, and Robert McNaull, program coordinator in agricultural and biosystems engineering –  Grain mass flow estimation
• Matthew Darr, professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering – Grain mass flow rate determination
• Matthew Frank, associate professor of industrial and manufacturing systems engineering – Method for machining metallic foam
• Lie Tang, associate professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering, and Yin Bao, postdoctoral research associate in agricultural and biosystems engineering –  Crop stand analyzer using reflective laser proximity sensors
• Simon Laflamme, associate professor of civil, construction and environmental engineering, and Randall Geiger, Tunc and Lale Doluca Professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering – Tire sensing method for enhanced safety and controllability of vehicles
• Austin Downey, graduate assistant researcher in mechanical engineering, and Simon Laflamme, associate professor of civil, construction and environmental engineering – Apparatus, method and system for high capacity band brake type variable friction damping of movement of structures
• Eric Cochran, professor of chemical and biological engineering; Christopher Williams, Gerald and Audrey Olson Professor in Civil Engineering; and Nacu Hernandez, research scientist in chemical and biological engineering – Thermoplastic elastomers via atom transfer radical polymerization of plant oil
• Jean-Philippe Tessonnier, associate professor of chemical and biological engineering, and Brent Shanks, Mike and Jean Steffenson Chair and Distinguished Professor of chemical and biological engineering – Isomerization of muconic acid
• David Grewell, affiliate professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering – Biodegradable fertilizer
• Alexander Stoytchev, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, and Volodymyr Sukhoy, graduate assistant researcher in electrical and computer engineering– Systems and methods for recognizing, classifying, recalling and analyzing information utilizing SSM sequence models
• Iver Anderson, adjunct professor of materials science and engineering – Dispersoid reinforced alloy powder and method of making
• Iver Anderson, adjunct professor of materials science and engineering – Passivation and alloying element retention in gas atomized powders
• Iver Anderson, adjunct professor of materials science and engineering – Atomizer for improved ultra-fine powder production
• Magundappa Ravi L. Hadimani, affiliate assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering; Vitalij Pecharsky, Distinguished Professor of materials science and engineering; and David Jiles, Palmer Professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering, Stanley Chair in Interdisciplinary Engineering and Distinguished Professor of electrical and computer engineering– Room temperature ferromagnetic gadolinium silicide nanoparticles