This year’s Dean’s Award for Excellence in Research winners are:

J. Todd Hastings: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

J. Todd Hastings’ diverse research areas, which span from nano‐fabrication techniques to medical sensor technologies, have made him an outstanding faculty member who demonstrates excellence in his research.

Hastings is the recipient of a National Science Foundation CAREER Award as well as a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Young Faculty Award. He has secured over $4.2 million dollars in funded projects as principal investigator. Hastings has led 13 awards as principal investigator and collaborated on many others. His recent Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) grant on Development of an Electron‐Beam based Instrument to Study Nanoscale Processes in Liquids has the goal to construct and validate an entirely new instrument that enables imaging and fabrication of nanostructures using electron‐beams in liquids. This $1.2 million research project will permit new investigations into nano-fabrication with new materials that could not be used in previous methods, and the new technique aims for lower cost, more stable and less toxic reactants. The technique has the opportunity to create new devices that will impact energy, communication, computing and medicine.

Hastings’ research also reaches into the medical arena. His research into intraocular pressure sensors for glaucoma patients has developed a simple sensor that can be implanted into the eye, which can be read externally to provide accurate pressure readings. This result of this research will help patients monitor and control their glaucoma, a disease that is the number one cause of irreversible blindness.

J. Zach Hilt: Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering

Since arriving at the University of Kentucky in 2004, Zach Hilt, William T. Bryan Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering, has established a thriving and highly-active research program oriented towards the rational design and development of innovative biomaterials and nanocomposites with applications for remote actuation, drug delivery and as biosensors. A highly valued and energetic collaborator, Hilt has forged substantive interactions with faculty in biomedical engineering, chemistry, medicine and pharmaceutical sciences, and has played a leading role in a number of multi-investigator interdisciplinary research efforts, including the National Science Foundation supported Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) and Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) programs.

The focus of Hilt’s research is the intelligent design and novel application of biomaterials and nanocomposites based on hydrogel systems. He has completed an extensive series of studies focused on the formulation of hydrogel nanocomposites tailored for remote actuation via inclusion of magnetic nanoparticles. These materials can be activated via application of an external magnetic field, leading to controlled outcomes specific to drug delivery, enzymatic activity and microfluidic valve and sensor actuation. Hilt has supported his activities through a diverse base of external funding, including a recent commercialization grant from Kentucky Science and Engineering Foundation.

While making important contributions to graduate research at UK, Hilt has also been a leading advocate in the college for undergraduate research. Since joining the UK faculty, he has served as research advisor to 58 undergraduate students on formal research projects.

Ruigang Yang: Department of Computer Science

In just under 10 years since arriving at the University of Kentucky, Ruigang Yang has amassed a sterling record of research productivity and impact and become one of the top young leaders in the field of 3D modeling and sensing.

Professor Yang’s research is concentrated on the acquisition and visualization of real-world objects and events, namely graphics and vision. His recent contributions include a method to separate bounced light and remove inter-reflections in photometric setups, an image-based reconstruction framework to derive models of water streams from real scenes captured by stereoscopic video and a new method for real-time formatting (identification and separation of foreground/background as in the “green screen” used by weather forecasters). Professor Yang’s most recent NSF grant is based on a framework his group developed to estimate body pose configurations from a single depth map, which achieves significantly higher accuracy than previous state-of-the-art methods. He is considered a key contributor to the success of the Center for Visualization and Virtual Environments (Vis Center) and, according to Google Scholar, his work has been cited more than 3,000 times.

In the past three years, Professor Yang has been awarded three new NSF grants as the Primary Investigator for a total of $2.3 million, one of which was a highly competitive Major Research Infrastructure grant of $1 million. He is also a Co-PI on three other grants that total $2.5 million. In the nearly 10 years he has been at UK, Professor Yang has averaged approximately $470,000/year in new funding as PI.

Dibakar Bhattacharyya: Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering

For nearly half a century, Dibakar “DB” Bhattacharyya, University Alumni Professor of Chemical Engineering, has produced outstanding research achievements in the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering. As a result, he is internationally known as a chemical engineering educator and researcher as well as a recognized leader in the field of membrane science.

In his recent work, DB has extended his fundamental membrane research to develop new functionalized membranes and nanostructured materials for enzyme catalysis, ultra-high capacity metal capture and other environmental and bio-based applications. He has focused on the integration of knowledge from the life sciences to create novel membranes with stimuli-responsive properties, and has exploited nanosynthesis approaches for the generation of unique layer-by-layer assemblies for enzyme immobilization in membrane structures. In addition, DB has been a pioneer in the application of green synthesis techniques for membrane functionalization, leading to new membrane supports for a range of water remediation applications. During his fall 2012 sabbatical DB was in residence at Sepro Membranes, Inc. in Oceanside, Calif., leading translational efforts to incorporate his recent discoveries into membrane modules for industrial water treatment.

DB´s high research productivity is evident in a number of core metrics. He has procured approximately $2 million in direct research funding over the last five years, and has been an integral member of a number of important multi-disciplinary efforts. Without question, Dibakar Bhattacharyya has sustained excellence in research that has and will continue to have lasting impact on the field of membrane science.

David Puleo: Center for Biomedical Engineering

David Puleo, director of the University of Kentucky Center for Biomedical Engineering, is an internationally recognized authority in biomedical engineering. He is a Fellow of the Biomedical Engineering Society and the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering and has served as assistant and associate editor as well as on the editorial boards of several international journals.

Puleo’s research endeavors have made contributions in cutting-edge areas of cell-biomaterial interactions, biomaterials engineering and cellular/molecular engineering. Much of his work involves novel chemical and topographical modification of biomaterial surfaces and controlled release of chemical compounds to induce cell functions pertinent to new tissue formation. Applications of his research include promoting bone formation around orthopedic and dental implants, healing of large, infected bone defects, augmentation of alveolar bone and regeneration of growth plate.

In addition to serving as principal investigator of numerous grants, Puleo has exhibited a high capacity for bringing researchers from a variety of disciplines to win grant awards from funding agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, Whitaker Foundation, Kentucky Science and Engineering Foundation and industry partners. He has supervised and co-supervised more than 40 Ph.D. and master’s graduate students, five medical students, five orthopedic surgery residents during their research rotations and more than 30 undergraduate students. In 2010 and 2013 Puleo received the Faculty Teaching Award from the Center for Biomedical Engineering.

Colleagues and collaborators endorse Puleo’s research as of the highest caliber, characterized by innovative approaches, meticulous execution and an ability to recognize key questions and problems, redirect his work and explore new challenging research areas.

This year’s Dean’s Award for Excellence in Service winners are:

Donald Colliver: Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

Donald Colliver has dedicated the majority of his career to service roles within the engineering profession as well as within the University of Kentucky College of Engineering.

Colliver currently serves as associate director of the Kentucky Industrial Assessment Center (KIAC) as well as associate director of UK’s Power and Energy Institute of Kentucky (PEIK). Colliver has been instrumental in arranging and performing industrial energy assessments for KIAC and passes his knowledge on to students working with him. With PEIK, Colliver was solely responsible for developing the Engineering Experiences course in which PEIK interns were exposed to power and energy industries through weekly tours.

Colliver has been a member of the National Engineers Week Steering Committee since 2002 and also contributes service to the Commonwealth as a member of the Technical Working Group for the Kentucky Climate Action Plan Council. Since 2009, he has served as a board member of the Kentucky Center for Renewable Energy Research and Environmental Stewardship, to which he was appointed by Governor Steve Beshear as the representative from higher education.

One of Colliver’s most significant service activities occurred in 2008-2010 when he served as faculty advisor for the UK team entry in the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon. His responsibilities included spearheading the team, writing the application, raising funds, forming the team and overseeing construction. The team’s effort was rewarded with a top 10 finish in the 2009 competition. He has reprised his role as faculty advisor for the 2013 UK Solar Decathlon Team.

David Silverstein: Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering

David Silverstein joined the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering as an assistant professor at the Paducah Campus in 1999. During his time at Paducah, Silverstein has been a leader in university and professional service; this service, along with his numerous scholarly accomplishments, has been a key factor in establishing the national profile of the Paducah program. In 2012, he was named director of the Paducah Campus.

Upon his arrival, Silverstein was tasked with building an independent student chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) for the Paducah Campus. From the beginning, Silverstein established a tradition of professional dedication and outreach among the Paducah students that has led to the chapter receiving an Outstanding Student Chapter Award 11 years in a row—every year since its inception. In recognition of his outstanding achievements as chapter advisor, Silverstein received the national AIChE Outstanding Student Chapter Advisor Award in 2009.

Silverstein’s professional service record encompasses sustained and important contributions to the educational programming activities of the AIChE and the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE). In AIChE, he has occupied a number of leadership roles that ultimately led to the establishment of the AIChE Education Division in 2009. Starting in 2003, Silverstein served as vice chair and chair of the Undergraduate Education Committee, vice chair and chair of the Education Group, and finally as founding chair of the Education Division (2009-2011). In 2011, he was the recipient of the national Herb Epstein Award for outstanding service in technical programming.

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The following winners were announced during the presentation of awards that followed Mr. Polston’s keynote address:

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

Frank Woeste Award: Kaitlyn Braun

Outstanding BAE Junior: Matt Fogle

Outstanding BAE Senior: Zeb Vance

Outstanding BAE Teacher: Czarena Crofcheck

Chemical Engineering

AIChE Outstanding Senior Member: Nick Winquist

AIChE Outstanding Junior Member: Lindsay Gray

Omega Chi Epsilon Outstanding Senior Member: David Spencer

Outstanding Junior: Brianna Smith

Outstanding Senior: David Spencer

Outstanding Teacher: Doug Kalika

Civil Engineering

Outstanding Junior: Admin Husic

Outstanding Senior: Allie Perkins

Outstanding University Scholar: Davis Huston

Outstanding Graduate Student: Gabe Dadi

Outstanding Faculty: Brad Davis

College of Engineering Awards

Lou Takacs Engineering Cooperative Education Award: Paul Varnado

College of Engineering Alumni Association Awards

Engineering Alumni Association Leadership Scholarship: Alex Wade

Engineering Alumni Association Senior Leadership Award: Kathryn Gardner

Computer Science

Outstanding Academic Performance: Bradley Elliot/Alex Williams

ACM Outstanding Teacher: Judy Goldsmith

ACM Outstanding Teaching Assistant: R. Paul Mihail/Ismail Abumuhfouz

Thaddeus B. Curtz Memorial Scholarship: Ting Gu

Graduate Center for Biomedical Engineering

Outstanding Teacher: David Puleo

Outstanding Graduate Student: Ran Cheng

Electrical and Computer Engineering

H. Alex Romanowitz Memorial Award: Chris Garnick

Outstanding ECE Senior: Matt Davis

Outstanding ECE Teacher: Stephen Gedney

Robert L. Cosgriff Award: Jason Rexroat

Eta Kappa Nu Outstanding ECE Junior: Charlie Miles

Eta Kappa Nu Outstanding ECE Graduate Student Award: Sean Hamlet

Materials Engineering

ASM International Bluegrass Chapter Scholarships: Wilson Rice, Amber Gay

Outstanding Junior: Cory Parker

Outstanding Senior: William Martin

Outstanding Teacher: Fuqian Yang

Mechanical Engineering

ASME Bluegrass Section Outstanding Scholar: Robert Burgess

Pi Tau Sigma Outstanding Mechanical Engineering Sophomore: Andrew Casciato

Outstanding Junior: Andrew Wilder

Outstanding Senior: Tyler Flynn

Outstanding Graduate Student: Xin Hua

ASME Outstanding Faculty Award: Jesse Hoagg

Outstanding Teaching Award – Lecturer Series: Christine Goble

Mining Engineering

Outstanding Junior: Austin Brock

Outstanding Senior: David Norton

Outstanding Teacher: G.T. Lineberry

Henry Mason Lutes Award for Excellence in Engineering Education: Judy Goldsmith

Tau Beta Pi Awards

Most Outstanding Senior: Adrianne Shearer

Most Outstanding Graduate Student: Stacy Schal

Most Outstanding Staff: Robyn Morefield

Most Outstanding Professor: Jimmy Fox

Outstanding Teacher in Paducah: Jeff Seay

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“I am grateful to our faculty volunteers and student organizations like Kappa Delta Sorority and Society of Women Engineers (SWE) who work hard to make sure GEMS is a rewarding experience for the girls,” said Vicki Cooper, who coordinated the event. “They generously sacrifice their time to teach and inspire girls who could become future engineers.”

The girls began the day listening to former UK president Lee Todd share his story about developing a childhood interest in engineering as the result of a similar outreach program.  To emphasize his point, Todd displayed the project he created when he was a boy as he recounted his career.

Following the keynote address, the attendees participated in three interactive sessions led by College of Engineering faculty and graduate students. Challenged by event coordinators to present STEM education in ways that compel students to want to know more, faculty members Bruce Walcott, Debby Keen, Kimberly Ward Anderson, Nancy Miller, Chuck May, Christine Trinkle and Czarena Crofcheck engaged students through hands-on demonstrations, games and experiments. Walcott, who is involved with several such outreach programs, is encouraged by how programs like GEMS benefit Kentucky.

“It is critical to the economic future success of the Commonwealth of Kentucky that the UK College of Engineering continues to conduct outreach programs such as our Girls Enjoying Math and Science (GEMS) Day. This program promotes engineering and math and science to young women at a time when our State and Nation needs more women entering the engineering workforce. Our partnership with the Girls Scouts and Susan Miller makes an ideal platform to promote the importance of the STEM education disciplines to young women.”

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Alumnna Courtney Fisk has overseen each one.

“My bachelor’s and master’s degrees are in biosystems and agricultural engineering, so building projects were new for me,” says Fisk. “But, out of necessity, someone needed to oversee the construction, and once I started doing it, I enjoyed it.”

Fisk joined CAER after graduating with her bachelor’s degree in 2005. Enrolled as a graduate student, she began conducting her master’s research at CAER. By the time she earned her master’s in 2007, CAER had hired her to be a full-time engineering associate. She was later moved into an engineering program management position that has largely revolved around her construction oversight responsibilities.

“We’ve grown significantly over past few years. My first experience with overseeing construction was a greenhouse we built specifically for the large algae culturing project we have been developing since 2009,” Fisk recalls. “Once that was completed, we received money to build a new laboratory for our mineral processing group and also retrofit parts of our main building. Because I had worked on the greenhouse, I was asked to take charge of the new project. When we obtained a grant to build this lab, my familiarity with the construction process and ongoing research in biofuels gave me the experience necessary to supervise the project.”

The new structure accommodates three different energy research groups: the Biofuels and Environmental Catalysis group, which studies how to convert natural resources to biofuels; the Electrochemical Power Resources group that is working with the Kentucky-Argonne Battery Manufacturing Research and Development Center; and a group dedicated to research in the area of solar energy. Each group’s unique focus made Fisk’s job an enjoyable challenge.

“One of my main day-to-day responsibilities is to answer any questions that arise about the building. On a given day, I could receive calls ranging from which side of the door the kick plates needed to be on for the battery bunker to questions regarding building communications integration. Other days, I would handle budget issues so we could get what we wanted in an economical way.  One primary responsibility was to handle the reporting requirements that come with an ARRA funded project.”

The opening of CAER’s new lab coincided with Fisk receiving her MBA from UK’s Gatton College of Business and Economics—an endeavor that had her managing a construction project by day and attending class at night for over two years. While both finish lines have brought relief and satisfaction, Fisk—who was featured in the Fall 2011 issue of Minority Engineer magazine—is ready to continue pursuing CAER’s vision to excel as an applied research and development center with an international reputation.

“The quest for renewable energy isn’t going away,” she says. “The technology is better, materials are cheaper and UK, as well as the Commonwealth of Kentucky, are putting themselves at the forefront of this research by supporting CAER’s research into this vital area.”

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Carman was honored in recognition of his outstanding leadership contributions that have advanced the development of improved surface irrigation, management, and application efficiency through an exemplary 37-year USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) career and subsequent engineering consulting practice.

Early in his USDA-NRCS engineering career, Carman held various positions in Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Indiana, where he was responsible for planning, design, and construction of large flood control and drainage projects as well as for direct assistance to farmers for erosion control, drainage, and animal waste management.  

From 1987 to 2000, Carman was state conservation engineer in Little Rock, Arkansas, where he provided irrigation engineering leadership for all NRCS programs within the state for large- and small-scale surface irrigation projects.  His technical oversight and leadership resulted in irrigation advancements to thousands of acres throughout Arkansas and several other states.  He managed the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, with much of the funding going for improvements to surface-irrigated cropland.  From 2000 to 2007, he held the position of agricultural engineer at the USDA-NRCS Water Management Center in Little Rock, where he was involved in providing assistance nationally to NRCS water specialists, and other federal, state and local partners involved with irrigation and drainage, as well as assistance in other natural resource areas such as animal waste management, wetland restoration, flood control, and agricultural and urban erosion control.

Since retiring in 2007, Carman has been owner and chief engineer of Carman Professional Services PLLC, in North Little Rock, Arkansas.  He provides professional engineering services for project management, management of water to meet quantity and quality requirements, technology development and implementation for climate data collection, water status, energy conservation, and system management.  He also serves as chief engineer and director for managing and directing all local activities associated with implementing the $400 million Grand Prairie Irrigation Project, which will deliver excess surface water to 250,000 acres of irrigated land experiencing depletion of groundwater.  In addition, Carman is involved in developing technology focused on automating surface irrigation systems.

Carman’s other awards and honors include: Arkansas Academy of Biological and Agricultural Engineering inductee; Arkansas Pork Producers Association Allied Industry Excellence award; NRCS Eagle award; University of Arkansas Pine Bluff Aquaculture and Fisheries Center Service award.  His USDA awards include three Certificate of Merit awards, five Outstanding Performance Rating awards, six Special Service Act awards, Certificate of Merit for Exceptional Team Performance award, and a Superior Service Unit award.  The ASABE Arkansas section presented him with an Outstanding Engineer award.

The American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers is an international educational and scientific organization dedicated to the advancement of engineering applicable to biological, agricultural, and food systems. Founded in 1907 and headquartered in St Joseph, Michigan, ASABE comprises nearly 10,000 members from more than 100 countries. Further information on ASABE can found at www.asabe.org.

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“Dr. Nokes has compiled an excellent record as a teacher and scholar,” said Dean Lester in his announcement, “and has served as director of undergraduate studies. She will assume her position this summer following the departure of Dr. Scott Shearer, who has accepted the same position at The Ohio State University. Please join me in congratulating Dr. Nokes on her new appointment.”

Dr. Nokes received her B.S. and M.S. in Agricultural engineering from The Ohio State University and her Ph.D. in Biological and Agricultural Engineering from North Carolina State.

Her research specialty areas are solid-state fermentation for the production of industrial enzymes, modeling of compressed solvent extraction processes for enhanced biomass conversion using thermophilic bacteria and production of enzymes using thermophilic, anaerobic bacteria in solid state cultivation.

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The award, named after Andrew T. Boggs, ASHRAE executive vice president emeritus, recognizes past recipients of the Distinguished Service Award for continuing, unselfish, dedicated and distinguished service to the Society.

Colliver received the Distinguished Service Award in 1995. Seven years later, he became president of ASHRAE, serving in 2002-03. In choosing his theme for this year, Building a Better World, Colliver said: “We must build on our successes and use our passion to take us to the next level. We must set goals that have a higher purpose.” During his 2002-03 presidential year, ASHRAE focused on the four cornerstones of energy, environment, education and empowerment that give us E to the 4^th power.

Colliver then took on a new role, serving as chair of the Steering Committee for the Advanced Energy Design Guide (AEDG) projects since its inception in 2003, after identifying this beyond-code energy efficiency guidance in his presidential year. Under his guidance, the Steering Committee has overseen the development of 30 percent guides for six different building types (small office, small retail, warehouse, K-12 schools, highway lodging and small healthcare).  Over 250,000 copies of these books have been distributed. Work on 50 percent guides starts this year.  The books have been some of the most successful and most broadly distributed publications in ASHRAE’s history. The Steering Committee has also overseen the initiation of a series of guides on existing buildings, the first of which was published in 2010, Business Case for Building Owners and Managers.   The next in the existing building series is a technical guide.

Colliver also chaired the Society’s 2007 Solar Decathlon Committee, leading decisions about ASHRAE’s involvement in the event that attracts students from around the world in designing, constructing and living in sustainable homes on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

Colliver is a professor at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Ky.

ASHRAE, founded in 1894, is an international organization of some 50,000 persons. ASHRAE fulfills its mission of advancing heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration to serve humanity and promote a sustainable world through research, standards writing, publishing and continuing education.

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