UPbeat

News for and about University of Portland faculty and staff.

Shiley School of Engineering

Donald P. Shiley’s Birthday, Jan. 19

shiley2The late Donald P. Shiley was born 97 years ago on January 19, 1920, according to Aziz Inan, engineering. Inan prepared the following birthday brainteasers in celebration of Shiley’s birth and “to express my appreciation for his generosity.”
  1. The sum of 97 (Mr. Shiley’s new age) and its reverse, namely 79, equals 176. Coincidentally, If numbers 1 to 26 are assigned to the letters of the English alphabet, the sum of the numbers assigned to the letters of Donald Pearce Shiley equals 176 too.
  2. Mr. Shiley turns 97 in 2017 where both 97 and 2017 are prime numbers. Further, 2017 is the 306th prime number where 306 equals 2 x 3 x 3 x 17 where the sum of these prime multipliers is 25 and the 25th prime number is 97.
  3. The reverse of 2017, namely 7102, equals 2 x 53 x 67 where these three prime numbers add up to 122 which equals 97 plus 25 where the 25th prime number is 97.
  4. Mr. Shiley’s new age 97 times three yields 0291 which is the reverse of his birth year, namely 1920.
  5. If Mr. Shiley’s 97th birthday expressed as 1/19/2017 is split as 1, 19, and 2017, these three numbers add up to 2037 which equals 21 times 97 where 21 coincides with the sum of the digits of 1/19/2017.
  6. Lastly, if Mr. Shiley’s birthday 1/19/2017 is split as 119 and 2017, the sum of these two numbers equals 2 x 2 x 2 x 3 x 89 where these prime multipliers add up to 98 signifying the fact that if Mr. Shiley was still alive, he would have started the 98th year of his life today.
Happy 97th birthday to Donald P. Shiley!
For more information contact Inan at x7429 or ainan@up.edu.

Don Galarneau, 1924-2016

don-galarneauDon Galarneau ’49, a longtime benefactor and supporter of the University’s mission, passed away on Saturday, August 20. Galarneau graduated from UP with a degree in general science/physics and worked as a field engineer internationally for GE for many years. He gave over $1.5 million dollars over his lifetime (including matching gifts from GE) and was one of UP’s most ardent supporters.

Galarneau was especially generous when it came to supporting the Shiley School of Engineering. He established the Donald T. Galarneau Endowed Scholarship for electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, physics, and math majors in 2002; since that time, there have been 25 recipients who have been awarded the scholarship, totaling $56,530.

In addition to the scholarship fund, he made gifts to the Engineering Building Fund for renovation of the Engineering Building; the Galarneau Engineering Student Project Fund; Murdock Challenge Engineering Match Fund; Clark Family Library Renovation Fund (Don funded two study rooms in the library which bear his name); the Donald P. Shiley School of Engineering Fund; SAE Society/Galarneau Mini Baja Project Fund/Formula Team; the Science and Engineering Equipment Fund  (Don funded the purchase of a 3D printer in addition to other equipment); Portland Magazine, the School of Engineering general fund; Rev. David T. Tyson, C.S.C. Distinguished Professorships; the Beauchamp Recreation & Wellness Center, and more.

Our prayers and condolences to Don’s family and humble thanks for his generosity. For more information contact Sharon Hogan at hogans@up.edu.

Engineering Alumnus Establishes VanGrunsven Professorship

DickVanGDick VanGrunsven, a 1961 engineering graduate of the University of Portland, has pledged $30,000 to establish a new term professorship in the Shiley School of Engineering. Over the three-year term of the project, mechanical engineering professor Timothy Doughty will have the title “The Richard and Diane VanGrunsven Professor of Engineering.” With the VanGrunsven gift, Doughty will work to improve the quality and increase the number of co-curricular, hands-on, student/faculty projects conducted during summers in the Shiley School of Engineering.

VanGrunsven founded Van’s Aircraft, Inc., in 1972, primarily to sell plans and parts for the RV-3, a homebuilt aircraft he designed (the “RV” in each model number match his initials). He manufactured the company’s products himself in a small shop behind his house in Reedville, Oregon. As business grew and Van’s Aircraft began producing full aircraft kits and new designs, the company moved to larger quarters in North Plains, Oregon. In 2000 the company moved to a new 60,000-square-foot facility near the small town of Aurora, Oregon. The employee-owned company currently employs over 50 people and produces several hundred complete aircraft kits per year.

For more information contact the Shiley School at x7292 or go to http://engineering.up.edu.

Engineers E-Week Celebration, Feb. 21-27

Shiley HallThe Shiley School of Engineering is celebrating Engineers E-Week from February 21 to 27, and all members of the campus community are invited to take part in the fun and festivities. A sampling:

  • Monday: IEEE: Soldering competition and workshop, 2-3 p.m., Shiley 110
  • Tuesday: ME Club: Cookies and hot chocolate, Franz Hall Lobby, 1-2 p.m.; SEDS UP: Rocket launch in Academic Quad, 3-4 p.m.
  • Wednesday: ASCE and EWB: Baked goods and posters, Shiley Hall Lobby, noon-1 p.m.; BME Club, recycled prosthetics, 2-4 p.m., location TBD
  • Thursday: UP Robotics: Robot demos, noon-1 p.m., Shiley Hall Lobby; TBP: Chili cook-off, 1-2 p.m., Shiley Hall Lobby.
  • Friday: Society of Women Engineers Career Fair, 1-4 p.m., Shiley Hall, all floors.

For more information contact the Shiley School of Engineering at 7292 or stroheck@up.edu.

SWE Engineering & Computer Science Career Fair, Feb. 26

engineering grantThe SWE Engineering & Computer Science Career Fair is on Friday, February 26, from 1- 4 p.m., in the Shiley School of Engineering. All students and alumni are invited to attend to talk to recruiters about summer jobs, internships, and full-time career opportunities. To see a list of currently registered companies, visit this link. Check back regularly as more companies will be registering.

To help students prepare, the Career Center is hosting Extended Express Advising hours for resume review and job fair preparation workshops, all in the Career Center (Orrico Hall, lower level):

  • How to Work a Job Fair Workshops: Monday, February 22, 4 p.m.; Tuesday, February 23, 1 p.m. & 4 p.m.; Wednesday, February 24, 1:30 p.m. & 4 p.m.; Thursday, February 25, 1 p.m.
  • Extended Express Advising Hours (for resume review): Wednesday, February 24, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Thursday, February 25, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Engineering/German Student Lands Germany Internship

munnPaul Munn, a double major in mechanical engineering and German studies, has been awarded a prestigious Cultural Vistas Summer Internship in Germany for summer 2016. The paid internship will be with a German engineering firm yet to be determined. Munn will join more than 300 students and professionals who take part in Cultural Vistas programs outside the United States each year. The Cultural Vistas program provides opportunities for students to gain valuable international work skills, improve German language abilities, and experience German life and culture.

For more information contact Deborah Munro, engineering, at munro@up.edu, or Alexandra Hill, international languages and cultures, at hilla@up.edu.

Grants To Fund Research in Environmental and Sustainability Issues

UPsolarpowerThe Shiley School of Engineering has received three grants totaling $45,000 for undergraduate student research projects dealing with environmental and sustainability issues. The research involves collaboration with other schools and organizations, and each project is funded by a $15,000 grant from the Oregon Alliance of Independent Colleges & Universities (The Alliance) and the Katherine Bisbee II Fund of the Oregon Community Foundation. The grant’s funds are to be applied to projects that are easily discernable, have an element of creativity, and show a long-term benefit to the people and/or natural areas of Oregon.

The first grant involves the second phase of a partnership with George Fox University and Portland General Electric (PGE), who last summer jointly did research on solar-thermal energy production. The project, submitted by UP engineering professor Heather Dillon, provided students and faculty with a “real world” challenge in terms of renewable energy science. Students and faculty developed an automatic load control algorithm to control the electrical load based on variations in local weather. The two universities worked together closely last summer and developed project paths that allowed both schools to end up with relevant laboratory data and experiments. George Fox engineering professor Chad Stillinger was a collaborator on the project, which received feedback from industry partner PGE.

A second grant, submitted by Cara Poor, engineering, will explore the cooling effect, water retention, and water quality from ecoroofs in the Portland area. Collaborators include Ted Eckmann, environmental studies, and Lewis and Clark College environmental studies professor Jessica Kleiss. Industry advisor is Henry Stevens of the City of Portland Bureau of Environmental Services.

A third grant, submitted by Jordan Farina, engineering, will focus on testing and analyzing the performance of a natural gas compressor prototype used to fuel NW Natural fleet vehicles. Collaborator on the project is George Fox University chemistry professor Davida Brown. The industry advisory is NW Natural. The Katherine Bisbee II Fund creative conservation research project is funded by a grant to The Alliance from the Oregon Community Foundation (OCF).

The Alliance represents 18 of Oregon’s regionally accredited, nonprofit private higher education institutions. For more information about The Alliance, go to www.oaicu.org.

Three Katherine Bisbee II Fund Grants in Engineering

Shiley HallThe Shiley School of Engineering has received three Katherine Bisbee II Fund OCF Grants of $15,000 each to support undergraduate conservation research projects. Heather Dillon, Jordan Farina, and Cara Poor will use the grants to support the following undergraduate conservation research projects:

  • Solar Thermal Energy Production Undergraduate Student Research Collaboration (University of Portland, George Fox University, & Portland General Electric)
  • Novel Natural Gas Compressor: Investigation & Evaluation (University of Portland, George Fox University, & NW Natural)
  • How sustainable are ecoroofs? An evaluation of the cooling effect, water retention, and water quality from ecoroofs in the Portland Area (University of Portland, Lewis & Clark College, & the City of Portland Bureau of Environmental Services).

The Katherine Bisbee II Fund creative conservation research project has been funded by a direct grant to The Alliance from the Oregon Community Foundation.

For more information contact the Shiley School of Engineering at 7292 or engineering@up.edu.

UP Students Named University Innovation Fellows by NCE

epicenter croppedTwo University of Portland students have been named University Innovation Fellows by the National Center for Engineering Pathways to Innovation. Students Ryan Cebula ’16, engineering, and Katie Heitkemper ’17, business, have completed training to join the national program that empowers student leaders to increase campus engagement with innovation, entrepreneurship, creativity and design thinking. Cebula and Heitkemper are two out of 150 students from 52 U.S. higher education institutions who were accepted into the program. The new fellows join three UP alumni from previous cohorts: Taylor Hendricks, Cole Preece, and Kevin Bastien.

The University Innovation Fellows program is run by Epicenter, which is funded by the National Science Foundation and directed by Stanford University and VentureWell. Fellows design innovation spaces, start entrepreneurship organizations, host experiential learning events and work with faculty to develop new courses. For more information go to this link.

UP Senior Shannon Danforth Wins Bryon E. Jones Scholarship

shannondanforth copyShannon Danforth, a senior in civil engineering, was awarded a Byron E. Jones Scholarship, which supports a student each at Portland State University, University of Portland, Oregon State, and Oregon Institute of Technology with a $1,500 annual scholarship. The award is given through the ASCE (American Society of Civil Engineers) Oregon Section.

Byron E. Jones was a senor field engineer for the Portland Cement Association and the 1982 recipient of the “Engineer of the Year Award” for the Oregon ASCE section (Mark Kennedy, engineering, won the award in 2015). Jones was president of the ASCE Oregon Section in 1969. His family started the Byron E. Jones Scholarship Fund, originally for programs at OSU and PSU, after his death in 1984.

For more information contact Kim Spir, engineering, at spir@up.edu.