Dr. Barry Lawrence, director of the Industrial Distribution Program and the Supply Chain Systems Lab in the Department of Engineering Technology and Industrial Distribution at Texas A&M University, has been named a Fellow of the NAW Institute for Distribution Excellence, the long-range research arm of the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors (NAW).

Dr. Barry Lawrence

The NAW is a federation of more than 100 wholesale distribution associations and thousands of individual firms that collectively total more than 40,000 companies. The NAW Institute for Distribution Excellence aims to help merchant wholesaler-distributors remain the most effective and efficient channel in distribution.

The NAW Institute established the Fellows program in 1999 to acknowledge individuals who have made and will continue to make significant intellectual contributions to the field of wholesale distribution. During their terms, NAW Institute Fellows work with the NAW Institute to develop and bring new research studies to the wholesale distribution industry.

Lawrence is the lead author of the NAW Institute 2009 book Optimizing Distributor Profitability: Best Practices to a Stronger Bottom Line. He also represents Texas A&M in its partnership with the NAW Institute in the establishment of the Council for Research on Distributor Competitiveness (CRDC). The mission of the CRDC is to create competitive advantage for wholesaler-distributors through development of new industry research and educational programs and to deliver that research and knowledge to industry executives and their management teams.

CRDC is sponsoring the 2009 Sales and Marketing Optimization consortium. At the NAW Executive Summit, Jan. 26–28, 2010, in Washington, D.C., Lawrence will share the Best Practices that made the greatest positive contributions to the sales and marketing efforts of the wholesale distribution firms that participated in the consortium.

About NAW
Established by the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors (NAW) in 1967, the NAW Institute has produced a distinguished body of work, consistent with its mission of sponsoring studies of strategic management issues affecting the wholesale distribution industry.

Contact: Ruth Stadius
Director of Communications
rstadius@naw.org
202.872.0885

Popularity: unranked [?]

Texas A&M's Brandon Pope and Panitan Kewcharoenwong join student leaders from the University of Massachusetts to represent their Summa Cum Laude chapters.

Texas A&M’s INFORMS student members once again stood out at the INFORMS Annual Meeting held in San Diego in October. Panitan (Ken) Kewcharoenwong, past president of the local student chapter and a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, received the Judith Liebman Award for being a “guiding light” and performing outstanding service to his chapter.

Panitan Kewcharoenwong receives Liebman Award from John Fowler, INFORMS vice president for chapters.

The chapter as a whole was honored with the Summa Cum Laude Award, which is the highest distinction given to student chapters. Only one other chapter in the nation was granted the award this year.

Submitted by Katherine Edwards, kedwards@tamu.edu

Popularity: unranked [?]

Dr. Raffaella Righetti

Dr. Raffaella Righetti, assistant professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Texas A&M University, and her student Biren Parmar received a second-place poster award at the National Meeting for Human Performance 2009 in Houston.

Participants at the meeting come from many different universities, including Texas A&M, Rice University, the University of Houston and University of Miami, and the top four posters are awarded each year.

Righetti’s team poster, “New Ultrasound Imaging Techniques To Visualize Bone Fractures,” detailed their study aimed at demonstrating the feasibility of using novel ultrasound techniques as alternative imaging modalities to standard X-ray imaging methods for bone imaging applications.

Righetti joined the electrical engineering department at Texas A&M in 2007 as an assistant professor. She received her Doctor of Engineering from the Universitá degli Studi di Firenze (Italy) and her M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Houston.

Righetti’s formal training is in ultrasound imaging with special emphasis in cancer imaging applications. She has published articles in leading journals in the area of ultrasound and elasticity imaging, and serves as a reviewer of several major journals in the field of biomedical imaging.

Written by Deana Totzke, deana@ece.tamu.edu

Popularity: unranked [?]

Dr. Hong “Helen” Liang, an associate professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University, has been elected a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).

Dr. Hong "Helen" Liang

The Fellow grade is the highest elected grade of membership in ASME. Fellowship is conferred upon a member with at least 10 years of active engineering practice and who has made significant contributions to the profession.

ASME said Liang’s research in the field of manufacturing and materials, particularly in chemical-mechanical planarization has helped industry to optimize manufacturing processes, to develop new products and to reduce cost. Through her research and education activities, she has mentored more than 100 high school, undergraduate and graduate students throughout her career.

A Texas A&M faculty member since 2004, Liang’s research interests are in surface science and engineering, (nano)tribology, tribochemistry, bio-nanointerfaces, biomaterials, nanomanufacturing and chemical-mechanical planarization (CMP).

Before coming to Texas A&M, Liang was an associate professor at the University of Alaska at Fairbanks. Prior to that, she was at the microelectronic industry after two years of postdoctoral studies at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. She has served as a visiting professor or scholar at the Argonne National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Ecole Centrale de Lyon in France and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Liang received an Award of Excellence from Cabot in 1997 and an NSF CAREER Award in 2002. She is a Fellow of the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers in which she also serves as a member of the board of directors; and a member of ASME, the American Society of Metals/Heat Treatment Society and the Materials Research Society.

Liang holds a bachelor’s degree in materials science and engineering from Beijing University of Iron and Steel Technology, received a master’s degree and Ph.D. from the Stevens Institute of Technology.

About ASME
ASME helps the global engineering community develop solutions to real world challenges. Founded in 1880 as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, ASME is a not-for-profit professional organization that enables collaboration, knowledge sharing and skill development across all engineering disciplines. ASME codes and standards, publications, conferences, continuing education and professional development programs provide a foundation for advancing technical knowledge and world safety. For more information visit www.asme.org.

Written by Lesley Kriewald, lesleyk@tamu.edu

Popularity: unranked [?]

Dr. Mahmoud El-Halwagi

Mahmoud El-Halwagi, professor in the Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering at Texas A&M University, has been named recipient of the 2009 Research Excellence in Sustainable Engineering Award.

The prestigious award is presented by the Sustainable Engineering Forum (SEF) of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) and recognizes basic or applied research results relative to the sustainability of products, processes or the environment. It is annually bestowed upon a researcher who has made significant technical contributions to the advancement of sustainable engineering in research, teaching and development activities.

Holder of the McFerrin Professorship, El-Halwagi is internationally known for his pioneering contributions in the fields of sustainable design and process integration, and he has written two widely used texts on the subject. At Texas A&M, he teaches senior-level undergraduate and graduate classes, covering the areas of sustainability, process design, simulation, economics, integration and optimization.

The SEF seeks collaborative work in programming and education objectives with other professional societies, both national and foreign. Specific focus areas of the forum include using appropriate metrics for sustainability; developing approaches for designing products and processes that can be optimized to desired metrics criteria and that incorporate environmental and societal benefit factors; and assessing impacts of resource use on environmental and social benefits of products, processes and services.

Other focus areas include designing new processes or products that are comparatively benign; responding to socioeconomic measures such as emission trading; and developing educational materials related to the field.

El-Halwagi will receive the award at an awards ceremony taking place during the 2009 AIChE Annual Meeting in Nashville.

Written by Ryan Garcia, ryan.garcia99@tamu.edu

Popularity: unranked [?]

The 100 fastest-growing Aggie-owned or Aggie-led businesses in the world were recognized today (Nov. 6) at the 5th Annual “Aggie 100” program, sponsored by the Mays Business School’s Center for New Ventures and Entrepreneurship at Texas A&M University.

Of the companies on the list, three of the Top 10 were owned by Texas A&M Engineering graduates. Andersen Schoel of Harker Heights, Texas, was first on the list and experienced a compound annual growth rate of 287 percent in the past two years. Houston’s Employer Flexible was third on the list and College Station’s Brazos Technology was fifth.

The “Aggie 100” focuses on growth as an indicator of job creation, product acceptance and entrepreneurial vision. Recipients of the award were selected based on compound annual revenue growth rate for the 2006 to 2008 period. In all, companies from seven states and five countries will be honored at the event. The oldest company on the list was founded in 1916.

Aggie engineer-owned businesses making the list:

Advanced Inspection Technologies    (Spring, Texas)
Michael Beard ’90
Senior Technical Advisor, Managing Partner
Bachelor’s degree, Engineering Technology

AgniTEK (Bryan, Texas)
Antonio Ortiz ’99
Director of Operations, Owner
Bachelor’s degree, Engineering Technology

Andersen Schoel (Harker Heights, Texas)
J.C. Schoel ’00
VP Sales and Business Development, Founder
Bachelor’s degree, Industrial Distribution

Baker Engineering and Risk Consultants (San Antonio)
Quentin A. Baker ’78
President, Owner
Bachelor’s degree, Mechanical Engineering

Barhorst Insurance Group (Houston)
Warren Barhorst ’88
CEO, Owner, Founder
Bachelor’s degree, Industrial Distribution

Bray International, Inc. (Houston)
Craig C. Brown ’75
President & CEO, Owner, Founder
Bachelor’s degree, Civil Engineering
David W. Gent ’75
Senior VP, Owner
Bachelor’s degree, Electrical Engineering

Brazos Technology (College Station, Texas)
Michael McAleer ’92
President, Owner, Founder
Bachelor’s degree, Industrial Distribution

CAPSHER Technology, Inc. (College Station, Texas)
Kay Stefan Capps ’83
President, Owner
Bachelor’s degrees, Industrial Distribution and Computer Science

Catapult Systems Inc. (Austin)
Sam T. Goodner ’90
CEO, Owner
Bachelor’s degree, Computer Science
David Jacobson ’90
Owner
Bachelor’s degree, Computer Science
Andrew Montz ’90
GM, Founder
Bachelor’s degree, Computer Science

Chaparral Energy, Inc. (Oklahoma City)
Mark A. Fischer ’72
Chairman, CEO, President, Founder
Bachelor’s degree, Aeronautical Engineering

CIMA ENERGY, LTD. (Houston)
Thomas K. Edwards ’87
President, COO, Owner, Founder
Bachelor’s degree, Petroleum Engineering
Peter D. Huddleston ’80
Director, Owner
Bachelor’s degree, Petroleum Engineering

Command Commissioning, LLC (Irving, Texas)
Ken Meline ’82
President, Founder
Bachelor’s degree, Mechanical Engineering
John Hatcher ’82
Sr. Vice President, Founder
Bachelor’s degree, Mechanical Engineering

Corkran Energy, LP (Austin)
Dennis Corkran ’77
President, Owner, Founder
Bachelor’s degree, Mechanical Engineering

Cowboy Adventures, Inc. (Highlands, Texas)
DBA Cowboy Outfitters
John W. Adams ’70
President, Owner
Bachelor’s degree, Chemical Engineering

Coyle Engineering, Inc. (Fair Oaks Ranch, Texas)
H. Michael Coyle, Jr. ’82
President, Owner, Founder
Bachelor’s degree, Civil Engineering

D.S.I. S.A. (Antofagasta, Chile)
Gregory E. Hall ’82
President, CEO, Owner, Founder
Bachelor’s degree, Engineering Technology

Dailey Electric, Inc. (College Station, Texas)
Chris Dailey ’93
President, Owner
Bachelor’s degree, Industrial Distribution

Desert Industrial X-Ray, LP (Odessa, Texas)
Douglas Frey ’77
CEO, Owner, Founder
Bachelor’s degree, Mechanical Engineering

Dore & Associates, Attorneys, P.C. (Houston)
Carl Dore ’77
President, Owner
Bachelor’s degree, Petroleum Engineering

Employer Flexible (Houston)
Michael Greathouse ’98
Founding Partner, Owner
Bachelor’s degree, Industrial Distribution

Forest Oil Corporation (Denver)
H. Craig Clark ’79
President and CEO
Bachelor’s degree, Mechanical Engineering

GEODynamics, Inc. (The Woodlands, Texas)
David S. Wesson ’82
CEO, President, Founder
Bachelor’s degree, Agricultural Engineering

GR Birdwell Construction (Houston)
Gene Birdwell ’59
CEO, Owner, Founder
Bachelor’s degree, Civil Engineering

Integral Power, LLC (Houston)
Ted Boriack ’85
Managing Director, Owner, Founder
Bachelor’s degree, Electrical Engineering
Ray Deyoe ’91
Managing Director, Owner, Founder
Bachelor’s degree, Chemical Engineering

Latshaw Drilling & Exploration Co.    (Tulsa, Okla.)
Trent B. Latshaw ’75
President, Owner
Bachelor’s degree, Petroleum Engineering

LiquidFrameworks (Houston)
Travis Parigi ’94
President, Owner, Founder
Bachelor’s degrees, Computer Engineering and Computer Science        TEXAS

LNV (Corpus Christi, Texas)
Dan Leyendecker ’90
President, Owner
Bachelor’s degree, Civil Engineering
Derek Naiser ’89
Vice President, Owner
Bachelor’s degree, Civil Engineering
Robert Viera ’92
Vice President, Owner
Bachelor’s degree, Civil Engineering

Lockard and White, Inc. (Houston)
Marc Lockard ’72
CEO, Owner
Bachelor’s degree, Electrical Engineering

Margarita Naturalmente, S.A. de C.V. (Jiutepec, Mexico)
Gordon Ivan Townsend ’81
Director General, Owner, Founder
Bachelor’s degree, Mechanical Engineering

Mechanical Rep, Inc. (Austin)
Larry R. Bloomquist ’79
President/CEO
Bachelor’s degree, Mechanical Engineering

Miner El Paso, Ltd. (El Paso, Texas)
Phil Miner ’80
Chairman
Bachelor’s degree, Ocean Engineering

Miner Fleet Management Group (San Antonio)
Phil Miner ’80
Chairman
Bachelor’s degree, Ocean Engineering

Miner Houston, Ltd. (Houston)
Phil Miner ’80
Chairman
Bachelor’s degree, Ocean Engineering

Mustang Engineering (Houston)
Steve Knowles ’84
President
Bachelor’s degree, Mechanical Engineering

New Tech Engineering (Houston)
Larry Cress ’76
President/CEO, Owner, Founder
Bachelor’s degree, Petroleum Engineering

Path Consulting Ltd. (Houston)
Paul Mason ’85
President, Owner, Founder
Bachelor’s degree, Mechanical Engineering

Premier Placement Media (The Woodlands, Texas)
David Gedeon ’96
President, Owner
Bachelor’s degree, Industrial Distribution

Sendero Business Services (Dallas)
Bret Farrar ’88
President of the GP, Founder
Bachelor’s degree, Mechanical Engineering

Sledge Engineering, LLC (Taylor, Texas)
Casey Sledge ’93
President, Owner, Founder
Bachelor’s degree, Civil Engineering

Stress Engineering Services Inc. (Houston)
Joe R. Fowler ’68
President, Owner, Founder
Bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate, Mechanical Engineering
Tom Asbill ’66
Sr. VP, Owner
Bachelor’s and master’s degrees, Mechanical Engineering
Randy Long ’75
VP, Owner
Bachelor’s and master’s degrees, Civil Engineering
Jack Miller ’74
VP, Owner
Bachelor’s and master’s degrees, Mechanical Engineering
Ron Young ’67
VP, Owner
Master’s degree and doctorate, Civil Engineering

Terry Ray Construction, Inc. (Brownsville, Texas)
Terry A. Ray ’79
President, Owner, Founder
Bachelor’s degree, Industrial Distribution

The Payton Company (Austin)
Richard Payton ’84
President, Owner, Founder
Bachelor’s degree, Petroleum Engineering

theBIGzoo (Magnolia, Texas)
Chris Gober ’96
Owner
Bachelor’s degrees, Computer Engineering and Computer Science

Guidelines for “Aggie 100″

To be considered for the “Aggie 100,” companies (corporations, partnerships, sole proprietorships) must operate in a manner consistent with the Aggie Code of Honor and in keeping with the values and image of Texas A&M. They must also meet the following criteria:

• Have been in business for five years or more as of June 30, 2009; and

• Have had verifiable revenues of $100,000 or more for calendar year 2006

Additionally, the company must meet one of the following leadership criteria:

• A Texas A&M former student or group of former students must have owned 50 percent or more of the company from Jan. 1, 2006, through Dec. 31, 2008, or

• A Texas A&M former student must have served as the company’s chief executive (for example chairman, CEO, president or managing partner) from Jan. 1, 2006, through Dec. 31, 2008, or

• A Texas A&M former student must have founded the company and been active as a member of the most senior management team from Jan. 1, 2006 through Dec. 31, 2008.

About the “Aggie 100″

The “Aggie 100,” one-of-a-kind at the college level, was created by Mays Business School’s Center for New Ventures and Entrepreneurship, whose mission is to provide encouragement, education, networking and assistance to entrepreneurially-minded students, faculty and Texas businesses. “Aggie 100″ is a unique way for Texas A&M University to demonstrate its pride in the accomplishments of its former students while enriching the educational experience for today’s students.

While there are many ways to define business success, the “Aggie 100″ focuses on growth as an indicator of job creation, product acceptance and entrepreneurial vision. The “Aggie 100″ identifies, recognizes and celebrates the 100 fastest growing Aggie-owned or Aggie-led businesses in the world.

About the Center for New Ventures and Entrepreneurship

The Texas A&M Center for New Ventures and Entrepreneurship provides encouragement, education, networking and assistance to entrepreneurially-minded students, faculty and Texas businesses. Founded in 1999, the center is part of Mays Business School’s Department of Management. The center enhances student education through campus speakers, competitions, work experiences and financial support. The Texas A&M faculty and Office of Technology Commercialization benefit from the center’s educational programs, extensive business community network and the entrepreneurial services.

The center also reaches out to the state’s business community offering educational programs, business assistance and access to university resources. The center is supported by corporate and individual members and sponsors who believe in the value of an entrepreneurial education program and the value of Texas businesses working with Texas A&M University.

CONTACT: Kelli Levey at Texas A&M, 979-845-4645 or klevey@tamu.edu; Lenae M. Huebner, assistant director, Center for New Ventures and Entrepreneurship, 979-845-4882 or lhuebner@mays.tamu.edu; or Rich Mullikin, Hollinden Marketing, 925-779-9115 or rich.mullikin@sbcglobal.net.

Popularity: unranked [?]

Mark Deimund, a senior in the Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering, has been nominated for the Marshall Scholarship, one of the two most prestigious and highly coveted academic scholarships available to United States students.

Deimund ’10 is from Oklahoma City. The president of Texas A&M’s American Institute of Chemical Engineers chapter, his recent research on biomass processing has garnered him a patent, and his current research involves systems biology in liver cells. He is also an avid strength trainer and enjoys classical literature. If selected as a Marshall Scholar, Deimund said he will study advanced chemical engineering at Cambridge University. He said he will also apply for the Winston Churchill Foundation Scholarship and the Gates-Cambridge Scholarship.

Deimund was recently named a 2009 recipient of the Craig C. Brown Outstanding Senior Award from the Dwight Look College of Engineering.

The Marshall Scholarship is tenable for two years of study at any university in the United Kingdom. Students must be graduating seniors or recent graduates and be nominated by the university. Hundreds of students from across the United States apply each year; only 40 of the approximately 1,100 who applied for the Marshall Scholarship in 2008 were selected as scholars.

Nominees will hear of their selection as finalists in the next one to two weeks. Finalists will then participate in regional or district interviews in Houston in November. The announcement of scholars will be announced shortly thereafter.

Texas A&M University has produced four Marshall Scholars, the most recent being Faye Hays in 2007. In the 2009 competition, biochemistry major Matthew Hickey was a finalist for the Marshall.

The Marshall Scholarships began in 1953 as a gesture of thanks from the British Government for the US assistance in rebuilding Europe after World War II. Former Marshall Scholars include Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer and New York Times Foreign Affairs columnist Thomas Friedman. According to the Marshall Scholarship Foundation, as future leaders, Marshall Scholars are “expected to strengthen the enduring relationship between the British and American peoples, their governments and their institutions. Marshall Scholars are talented, independent and wide-ranging, and their time as Scholars enhances their intellectual and personal growth. Their direct engagement with Britain through its best academic programmes contributes to their ultimate personal success.”

Because of the fierce competition for these scholarships, the preliminary process to be selected as an official university nominee is quite rigorous. Currently enrolled students and recent graduates should apply for selection in April, with the official deadline for the scholarships being in early October. To be awarded the university’s nomination, a student must show strong scholarly potential, demonstrated through their academic record and letters of recommendation from faculty, leadership ability, demonstrated through their involvement in student and civic organizations, and excellent speaking and analytical skills, as demonstrated in a series of interviews.

Once approved, prospective nominees can expect to spend months developing their applications as they work closely under the advice and guidance of faculty and academic advisors. The official announcement of university endorsement is made only after the nominees submit their finalized application to the scholarship foundations.

For more information, contact Kyle Mox, national scholarships coordinator in the Honors Programs office, at (979)845-1957 or kemox@tamu.edu.

http://dmc-news.tamu.edu/templates/?a=8146&z=15

Popularity: unranked [?]

Dr. Ivan Damnjanovic

Dr. Ivan Damnjanovic, assistant professor of construction engineering and management in the Zachry Department of Civil Engineering, has been appointed to an ad hoc committee by The National Academies’ Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences.

The project, Predicting Outcomes from Investments in the Maintenance and Repair of Federal Facilities, has a committee of experts who will develop methods, strategies, and procedures to predict outcomes anticipated from investments in federal facilities’ maintenance and repair. The project will begin Dec. 1 and run for 18 months.

Damnjanovic received his Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin in 2006 and joined the Texas A&M University faculty in August 2006.

The Zachry Department of Civil Engineering at Texas A&M was named in 2005 in honor of the generous and longstanding support of the Zachry Foundation of San Antonio, Texas. The department is one of the largest civil engineering programs in the world and consistently ranks among the top departments in the United States. The undergraduate and graduated programs is ranked eighth and the graduate program eighth among public institutions in the most recent U.S. News & World Report rankings.

Written by Cassidy Thomas

Popularity: unranked [?]

Nuclear engineering's Andrew Dercher

Andrew Dercher, a graduate student in the Department of Nuclear Engineering at Texas A&M University, has been awarded a fellowship through the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy as part of its Nuclear Energy University Program (NEUP).

Dercher is currently working with Dr. Karen Vierow on improvements to the decay heat removal system for gas-cooled fast reactors. He is originally from Radnor, Penn., and earned his B.S. in nuclear engineering at Penn State.

According to the Office of Nuclear Energy, “The scholarships and fellowships granted under the NEUP program will help to recruit and train the next generation of nuclear scientists and engineers — a critical need as the nation moves toward greater use of nuclear energy to meet our energy needs and address the global climate crisis.” In 2009, the NEUP program awarded 76 scholarships and 18 fellowships (approximately $2.9 million) to U.S. nuclear science and engineering students.

The fellowship awarded to Dercher provides $150,000 over three years.

Also included in this award announcement were three undergraduate scholarship recipients from Texas A&M’s nuclear engineering department: Michael Hackemack, Jesse Johns and William Sames. Each will receive a one-year award of $5,000.

Submitted by Shannon Pope, spope@tamu.edu

Popularity: unranked [?]

Victor Carreto-Vazquez, a graduate student in the Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering working under the auspices of the Mary Kay O’Connor Process Safety Center at Texas A&M University, has been recognized as part of a team awarded the Journey Champion distinction by BASF-The Chemical Company.

Carreto-Vazquez, who interned at BASF, was part of a vinsol resin team that assisted seven of the corporation’s facilities in achieving safer operations by identifying flammable dust used at the facilities and helping facilitate transition to a less-flammable variation of the product. Carreto-Vazquez’s internship was in BASF’s Applied Chemistry and Chemical Engineering division in Wyandotte, Mich.

The honor, which is bestowed by BASF’s senior vice president of ecology and safety, recognizes employees, leaders and teams who have distinguished themselves through their outstanding work while at BASF.

Written by Ryan Garcia, ryan.garcia99@tamu.edu

Popularity: unranked [?]