Faculty/Departmental News

FACULTY / DEPARTMENTAL NEWS
AE Newsletter - Spring/Summer 2002
FACULTY HONORS The AE Department congratulates Dr. Jelena Srebric, who has been notified by the National Science Foundation that she will receive a five year NSF Career Award for her proposal entitled: “CAREER: Designing Healthy and Energy-Efficient Buildings Using Computational Fluid Dynamics.” Dr. Strebric was also recognized by ASHRAE as the winner of the best poster presentation for 2001. She received the award at the ASHRAE conference held in Honolulu, HW in June 2002. Dr. Stanley A. Mumma was among ten distinguished lecturers recently named by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). Mumma’s area of expertise is Dedicated Outdoor Air Systems (DOAS). Established in 1996, the Distinguished Lecturers program provides ASHRAE chapters with noted authorities relevant to the HVACR industry. ASHRAE has 26 distinguished lecturers. M. Kevin Parfitt, associate professor was honored as the recipient of the Lawrence J. Perez Memorial Student Advocate Award. The family of Lawrence J. Perez, former associate dean of the college of engineering, established this award in his honor in 1990. The purpose of the award is to “recognize and reward an outstanding engineering advisor who has exhibited professionalism, character and intense concern for individual students or student groups.” Nominations for the Perez award are submitted by a student or student group. Parfitt was honored at a luncheon held at the Nittany Lion Inn on April 15, 2002, where he received a commemorative plaque and cash award. NEW FACULTY Dr. James D. Freihaut joined the AE faculty as associate professor of architectural engineering in the mechanical option effective July 2002. Dr. Freihaut receive his Ph.D. degree in fuel science from Penn State in 1988. He comes to Penn State with twenty-two years of industry experience with United Technologies Research Center in East Hartford, CT. He served as program leader of the UTRC Indoor Air Quality Program and Building Combined Heat and Power Systems (1992-2002) and director, External Resource Development (2000-2002). Freihaut led the UTRC technical programs in the areas of Indoor Air Quality and Building Science. The research programs focused on defining, characterizing and quantifying enclosed space air quality issues, as well as system constraints imposed on potential air treatment/filtration solutions. COMMENCEMENT Commencement for the College of Engineering was held on May 10, 2002. Architectural Engineering conferred 61 B.A.E., 10 M.A.E., 1 M.S., and 2 M.Eng. degrees. An evening reception was held in the Bryce Jordan Center for the AE graduates, their guests, and AE faculty and staff. COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS Leslie E. Robertson, president and founder of the engineering firm Leslie E. Robertson Associates, served as the keynote speaker for the College of Engineering's commencement ceremonies on May 10 at the Bryce Jordan Center. His speech, entitled “First Steps,” offered sound words of advice to the graduates, who are about to take their own ‘first steps’ into their futures. The speech was very well received by the students, faculty, and guests who were present.	Robertson's work is known throughout the world. Some of the innovative building structures carried out by Robertson include the World Trade Center, New York; USX Building, Pittsburgh; PPG Industries Headquarters, Pittsburgh; AT&T Headquarters, New York; Puerta De Europa, Madrid; and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland; along with a host of other well known structures. He is a 1952 graduate of the University of California at Berkeley. During his career, Robertson has won numerous awards and honors, including the Gengo Matsui Prize, the American Institute of Architects' Institute Honor, and Engineering News Record's Construction “1989 Man of the Year.” He was also named one of Engineering News Record’s “125 Top People of the Past 125 years.” Robertson is a long-time friend of the AE Department and has been an active participant in the annual Senior Thesis Jury. He served as the keynote speaker for the 1999 Senior Thesis Kick-off Lecture. His firm participates at the annual AE Career Fair, and Robertson is also a current member of the AE IPAC (Industrial and Professional Advisory Council) team. STUDENT MARSHAL James A. Shipe was named the class student marshal to represent AE in the spring 2002 commencement ceremony. Dr. Louis F. Geschwindner served as faculty marshal. (left) During his academic career in Penn State AE, Jim was named to the Dean’s list every semester. He is a Schreyer Scholar and an Evan Pugh Scholar. Jim was also the recipient of the President Sparks Award and the President’s Freshman Award, as well as College of Engineering scholarships and the 2002 International Concrete Repair Institute Scholarship. He served as student chapter president of the Tau Beta Pi and treasurer of Structural Engineers Association. He is also a member of Phi Alpha Epsilon, the Architectural Engineering Honor Society, the Golden Key Honor Society, and the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society. He was a teaching intern for our Introduction to Steel Design Course. In his spare time, he played intramural soccer, football and softball. In addition to being named student marshal, he was awarded a life membership in the Penn State Alumni Association. SABBATICAL LEAVES PLANNED Dr. Louis F. Geschwindner will take a sabbatical leave at the American Institute of Steel Construction in Chicago, IL during the fall 2002. He plans to study current practices in the design of steel structures as practiced by the major structural engineering design firms in the United States. M. Kevin Parfitt, has planned a sabbatical leave at Facility Engineering Associates in Fairfax, VA, during spring 2003. His work will involve the compilation of detailed case history information on building performance failures that will be used for teaching, student reference, and future research. IPAC MEETING HELD The Industrial and Professional Advisory Council (IPAC) meetings were held in the College of Engineering on March 20-22, 2002. AE faculty and student representatives consulted with eight members of industry. The focus of the discussions was strategic planning in the AE Department.

FACULTY / DEPARTMENTAL NEWS

AE Newsletter - Spring/Summer 2002

FACULTY HONORS
The AE Department congratulates Dr. Jelena Srebric, who has been notified by the National Science Foundation that she will receive a five year NSF Career Award for her proposal entitled: “CAREER: Designing Healthy and Energy-Efficient Buildings Using Computational Fluid Dynamics.”

Dr. Strebric was also recognized by ASHRAE as the winner of the best poster presentation for 2001. She received the award at the ASHRAE conference held in Honolulu, HW in June 2002.

Dr. Stanley A. Mumma was among ten distinguished lecturers recently named by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE).

Mumma’s area of expertise is Dedicated Outdoor Air Systems (DOAS). Established in 1996, the Distinguished Lecturers program provides ASHRAE chapters with noted authorities relevant to the HVACR industry. ASHRAE has 26 distinguished lecturers.

M. Kevin Parfitt, associate professor was honored as the recipient of the Lawrence J. Perez Memorial Student Advocate Award.

The family of Lawrence J. Perez, former associate dean of the college of engineering, established this award in his honor in 1990.

The purpose of the award is to “recognize and reward an outstanding engineering advisor who has exhibited professionalism, character and intense concern for individual students or student groups.” Nominations for the Perez award are submitted by a student or student group. Parfitt was honored at a luncheon held at the Nittany Lion Inn on April 15, 2002, where he received a commemorative plaque and cash award.

NEW FACULTY
Dr. James D. Freihaut joined the AE faculty as associate professor of architectural engineering in the mechanical option effective July 2002.

Dr. Freihaut receive his Ph.D. degree in fuel science from Penn State in 1988.

He comes to Penn State with twenty-two years of industry experience with United Technologies Research Center in East Hartford, CT. He served as program leader of the UTRC Indoor Air Quality Program and Building Combined Heat and Power Systems (1992-2002) and director, External Resource Development (2000-2002). Freihaut led the UTRC technical programs in the areas of Indoor Air Quality and Building Science. The research programs focused on defining, characterizing and quantifying enclosed space air quality issues, as well as system constraints imposed on potential air treatment/filtration solutions.

COMMENCEMENT
Commencement for the College of Engineering was held on May 10, 2002. Architectural Engineering conferred 61 B.A.E., 10 M.A.E., 1 M.S., and 2 M.Eng. degrees. An evening reception was held in the Bryce Jordan Center for the AE graduates, their guests, and AE faculty and staff.

COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS
Leslie E. Robertson, president and founder of the engineering firm Leslie E. Robertson Associates, served as the keynote speaker for the College of Engineering's commencement ceremonies on May 10 at the Bryce Jordan Center. His speech, entitled “First Steps,” offered sound words of advice to the graduates, who are about to take their own ‘first steps’ into their futures. The speech was very well received by the students, faculty, and guests who were present.

Robertson's work is known throughout the world. Some of the innovative building structures carried out by Robertson include the World Trade Center, New York; USX Building, Pittsburgh; PPG Industries Headquarters, Pittsburgh; AT&T Headquarters, New York; Puerta De Europa, Madrid; and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland; along with a host of other well known structures.

He is a 1952 graduate of the University of California at Berkeley. During his career, Robertson has won numerous awards and honors, including the Gengo Matsui Prize, the American Institute of Architects' Institute Honor, and Engineering News Record's Construction “1989 Man of the Year.” He was also named one of Engineering News Record’s “125 Top People of the Past 125 years.”

Robertson is a long-time friend of the AE Department and has been an active participant in the annual Senior Thesis Jury. He served as the keynote speaker for the 1999 Senior Thesis Kick-off Lecture. His firm participates at the annual AE Career Fair, and Robertson is also a current member of the AE IPAC (Industrial and Professional Advisory Council) team.

STUDENT MARSHAL
James A. Shipe was named the class student marshal to represent AE in the spring 2002 commencement ceremony. Dr. Louis F. Geschwindner served as faculty marshal. (left)

During his academic career in Penn State AE, Jim was named to the Dean’s list every semester. He is a Schreyer Scholar and an Evan Pugh Scholar. Jim was also the recipient of the President Sparks Award and the President’s Freshman Award, as well as College of Engineering scholarships and the 2002 International Concrete Repair Institute Scholarship.

He served as student chapter president of the Tau Beta Pi and treasurer of Structural Engineers Association. He is also a member of Phi Alpha Epsilon, the Architectural Engineering Honor Society, the Golden Key Honor Society, and the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society. He was a teaching intern for our Introduction to Steel Design Course. In his spare time, he played intramural soccer, football and softball.

In addition to being named student marshal, he was awarded a life membership in the Penn State Alumni Association.

SABBATICAL LEAVES PLANNED
Dr. Louis F. Geschwindner will take a sabbatical leave at the American Institute of Steel Construction in Chicago, IL during the fall 2002. He plans to study current practices in the design of steel structures as practiced by the major structural engineering design firms in the United States.

M. Kevin Parfitt, has planned a sabbatical leave at Facility Engineering Associates in Fairfax, VA, during spring 2003. His work will involve the compilation of detailed case history information on building performance failures that will be used for teaching, student reference, and future research.

IPAC MEETING HELD
The Industrial and Professional Advisory Council (IPAC) meetings were held in the College of Engineering on March 20-22, 2002. AE faculty and student representatives consulted with eight members of industry. The focus of the discussions was strategic planning in the AE Department.

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