Each year, in conjunction with National Engineers Week, the Affiliate Societies Council (ASC) of the Engineering and Science Foundation of Dayton hosts an awards celebration to further its goal acknowledging and promoting the accomplishments of the engineers and scientists in the Miami Valley. ASC presents awards for the categories of education; research; technical leadership; engineering design and development; and manufacturing, production, and quality control. At this year’s celebration, Dr. Raymond E. Siferd, Chair, Department of Electrical Engineering, was the worthy recipient of a 1999 Outstanding Engineers and Scientists Award in the education category.

Dr. Siferd received this recognition for being a man with knowledge, experience, commitment, and dedication. He has served both Wright State University and the entire Miami Valley through his interest and expertise in engineering research and development, and by his passion for engineering education. Dr. Siferd joined the faculty at WSU following a career in the U.S. Air Force where he gained a varied background ranging from engineering the microelectronic integration of navigation and communication avionics, to overseeing research involving foreign technology and satellite communications systems.

When Dr. Siferd joined the College of Engineering and Computer Science, he identified a need for a course of study in IC chips, the future of electronics–ultimately creating a very successful education program in very large scale circuit integration (VLSI). He later added courses dealing with IC design for logic devices and a design thesis course involving the application of very high speed hardware description language (VHDL). His graduate sequence in VLSI was also the first at WSU. These programs would not exist at Wright State if it had not been for the vision and diligence of Dr. Raymond Siferd.

Dr. Siferd has a reward personified by the students he has inspired, taught, and mentored. His accomplishments will continue to be measured by what his students achieve. And, consequently, his contributions to WSU and to the Miami Valley will reach far into the future.

Homecoming 1999, officially dubbed "Howl & Prowl," was a night to remember for one CECS BHE major. Kristen Huener was named Homecoming Qeen at the Raider basketball game.

For being named Homecoming Queen, Kristen received a gold WSU watch and the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) will receive $500 from the WSU Athletic Association as her sponsoring organization. In fact, this $500 award is the real reason Kristen considered running for Homecoming Queen–SWE needs money to host a conference in the fall of 2000.

Voting for the homecoming court took place throughout the preceeding week–votes were cast by depositing cash donations in a candidate’s box. Over $1200 was generated from the the voting process. Funds are distributedto charitible organizations–the king designated his share to the Dayton Area Hospice and the queen designated her share to the WSU Disabled Sports program. Kristen chose "this organization because it was where I first became involved on campus and they are also an organization that needs support. "

Kristen felt that the highlight of the evening was that she was able to share it with her family and friends and she was proud to represent the CECS. One of the king candidates was also a CECS student.

These are admirable sentiments considering Kristen also won one quarter of tuition in a separate raffle that was part of the homecoming activities.

Mitch Wolff, Ph.D., assistant professor of mechanical and materials engineering, has received the 1999 Ralph R. Teetor Educational Award from the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), distinguishing him as one of the nation’s top engineering educators.

Dr. Wolff has been with Wright State since 1995 and teaches under-graduate fluid dynamics and thermodynamics and graduate computational fluid dynamics classes. He specializes in gas turbine research, which he conducts at the Compressor Aero Research Lab within the Propulsion Directorate at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

Dr. Ramana Grandhi, professor of mechanical engineering, and Dr. Richard Bethke, Chair, Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, nominated Dr. Wolff based on his teaching approach, commitment to students’ education and respect for his profession. Grandhi was a 1987 recipient of the Teetor Educational Award.

The intent of the SAE Teetor Program is to improve communication between engineering educators and practicing engineers in industry and government. As the award winner, Dr. Wolff will take part in the five-day SAE International Congress and Exposition in Detroit, including an industry tour at General Motors Corporation.

"The Teetor Program will help me gain a better understanding of key auto research issues," said Wolff. "By collaborating with engineers in the auto industry, I’ll have an opportunity to investigate how my research in the gas turbine field can be adapted to the auto industry. Ralph Teetor was an excellent model of everything that has made our country and profession what it is today. I am honored and blessed to be selected for a national award named after a man like him."

Although blind from the age of five, Teetor was the inventor of cruise control, and went on to become a respected mechanical engineer, president of the Perfect Circle Corporation, and long-time member and 1936 president of SAE.

Forty-Six (46) teams from thirty-three (33) high schools competed in the annual TEAMS competition. TEAMS, a one-day competition consisting of a two-part exam, is sponsored each year by JETS, the Junior Engineering Technical Society. Competing teams consist of eight students per team. The students collaborate on answering the questions for both parts of the exam.

Part One of the examination consists of a series of objective questions and is graded on-site while the teams are completing Part Two. The second part of the examination consists of subjective questions related to the first part of the examination and requiring the students to describe and defend their solutions. Part Two of the exam is submitted to and graded by JETS.

The following is a list of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners in each of the five divisions (divisions are based on the 12th grade student enrollment and school admission policy) based solely on the scores from the first part of the exam. "A"/"B" designations indicate two teams from the same school.

Extra Extra Large Division (500+ seniors or academically selective enrollment regardless of size):

Extra Large Division (251—499 seniors):

Large Division (101—250 seniors):

Medium Division (41—100 seniors):

Small Division (4—40 seniors):

This year, a Trebuchet contest was held in conjunction with TEAMS. In this contest, high school students followed set guidelines to design and build trebuchets– a medieval engine used, in ancient times, to cast items into a fortress under seige.

Approximately 60 entrants met the prescribed parameters and competed in the contest. Each trebuchet had three opportunities to cast balls of clay (provide by the contest officials) at a target. Awards were given for longest distance thrown, for best accuracy (determined by statistical computation of the three throws), and for the best combination of distance and accuracy.

The awards for the 1999 Trebuchet Contest went to: