Just as gifted inside the classroom as outside of it, Mark was chosen by Dean Thomas Lester to participate in his Engineering Leadership Class—an experience that exposed him to industry leaders, renowned alumni and culminated in a trip to Washington D.C. Given Mark’s potential, it was a testament to UK’s ability to attract high-quality graduate students when Mark chose to enroll in a graduate program directed by assistant professor Sean Bailey after graduating in May, 2011.

Recently, Mark was notified that he will receive a NASA Space Technology Research Fellowship. The NSTRF is a national award given to a select group of future technological leaders, and the goal of the NSTRF program is “to provide the nation with a pipeline of highly skilled engineers and technologists to improve America’s technological competitiveness.” Through such programs, NASA hopes to gain access to students like Mark, who are interested in creating new technologies that will benefit aerospace research. One aspect of the fellowship is that Mark will have the opportunity to work with NASA scientists at a NASA facility.

“I have been very excited to see the progression of this work, and the amazing field of dedicated researchers that further the state of the art every day,” Mark declares. ““This NSTR Fellowship will provide the opportunity to take this research to new levels that I could not have imagined when submitting the first proposal.”

Mark is currently working on a NASA EPSCoR funded project conducting experimental investigation of blowing effects on turbulent flow over a rough surface. Using a wind tunnel, Mark is examining the fundamentals of how flow transpiration through a surface modifies the turbulence flowing over it. His research has applications for modeling adverse effects upon the exterior of spacecraft returning to the earth’s atmosphere.

Bailey, who has known Mark since he was a student in his fluid dynamics class almost three years ago, says Mark is more than deserving of the prestigious award.

“Mark continues to impress me with his maturity and knowledge of engineering fundamentals, and even in this early stage of his graduate studies I am able rely on him to conduct quality experiments that I can trust. He has proven himself to be an excellent experimentalist with a good instinct for performing research.”

Mark cites Bailey, as well as assistant professor Alexandre Martin, as influences that made the award possible. “I could never have made it this far without the support of my advisers and funding through NASA. It is incredible to me what is possible when you dedicate your time and are provided tons of great assistance from co-workers and advisers.”

In addition to displaying a poster at the 5th Ablation Conference earlier this year, Mark will be presenting his research at the American Physical Society’s Division of Fluid Dynamics annual meeting this fall and will exhibit a poster at the 17^th annual Kentucky EPSCoR conference.

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The conference’s website describes the 2011 Congress as “a premier global conference that focuses on today’s technical challenges, research updates and breakthrough innovations that are shaping the future of engineering. The Congress convenes engineers, scientists and technologists of all disciplines for the purposes of exploring solutions to global challenges and for the advancement of engineering excellence worldwide.”

Find more information, visit http://www.asmeconferences.org/congress2011/.

Seminar Schedule for Fall 2012 Coming Soon!

The broad-scale impact of sustainable manufacturing upon growing groups of stakeholders has called for multidisciplinary research across a broad spectrum, a development Dr. Badurdeen welcomes. “It’s not possible for one person to have all the expertise that is needed,” she asserts. “We need to collaborate with experts in fields such as business, public policy and social sciences to better design such sustainable systems.”

One such collaborative effort, involving faculty from the Colleges of Engineering and Business & Economics at UK, is the “Risk Assessment for Next Generation Supply Chain Readiness” or, “RANGER”—a project led by Dr. Badurdeen.

“RANGER is a U.S. Air Force sponsored project which deals with supply chain risk modeling,” she explains. “With globalization and outsourcing, supply chains have become very complex. Managing a supply chain means understanding the risks within the supply chain—and those risks come from various sources, including natural disasters, labor issues, material shortages, etc. We spent a lot of time compiling all of the possible risks companies could be exposed to. Right now there are about 160 on the list.”

As if navigating 160 different risk factors isn’t daunting enough for a manufacturer, Dr. Badurdeen says it is the interdependence between the risks which needs to be understood, and which RANGER has mapped and modeled. “It is the interdependence which makes managing supply chains so complex. When there was an earthquake and tsunami in Japan, it affected production in Kentucky because Toyota in Georgetown couldn’t get the parts as needed.” Dr. Badurdeen’s team is currently working on software companies could use to study the effect of risk factors and their interrelationships on the supply chains.

Working on projects like RANGER and involving her students in manufacturing and supply chain research has been one of the more gratifying aspects of Dr. Badurdeen’s role as a professor.  “Our students get to work in large, multidisciplinary teams, so they get a broader perspective than what they learn in the classroom.” She believes this team-oriented approach mirrors what students will find in the business world. “Through their interactions with these companies, they get to see things as they would experience in real life.”

Applying an education in mechanical engineering and sustainable manufacturing is what Dr. Badurdeen hopes she has helped students do once they have finished her courses. “When former students send me e-mails once they start working to say they realize the value of what was taught in those courses, I am content my job was done.”

The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Thermophysics Technical Committee recently conferred UK mechanical engineering professor Alexandre Martin, Ph.D. the AIAA Best Paper at the annual Thermophysics Conference in Honolulu, Hawaii. Dr. Martin’s paper, titled: “CFD Implementation Of A Novel Carbon-Phenolic-In-Air Chemistry Model for Atmospheric Re-Entry” was co-authored with Dr. Iain Boyd from the University of Michigan. As part of the award, Dr. Martin received a  Certificate of Merit, which the AIAA bestows to individuals for demonstrating technical and scientific excellence.

Congratulations, Dr. Martin, on receiving this prestigious award!