Boilermaker Engineering Engenuity Podcast

At Purdue, classroom, lab and seminar learning is the springboard for a student’s deep dive into their passions. Purdue students are not only excelling in foundational tenets taught in that traditional academic setting — they are spilling out after class to join or start clubs and organizations, collaborating across disciplines with other students and faculty, entering national and international competitions, and hosting national expos in their fields. They are developing professionally by learning hands-on at industry level via internships and experiential Co-ops, and launching research and startups to take their pursuits to a whole new level. This episode of Engenuity features two students, Haddy Alchaer and Zoe Slatkin, who are taking part in the intellectual and innovation ferment — in their case, in space and robotics — that is bubbling across the Purdue campus.

Semiconductors and chips are at the heart of everything we do. They are some of the most fiendishly complex engineered devices ever built, and are getting even more complex as we race to develop chips with mind-boggling power to fuel artificial intelligence. Chips are also a national security priority, which is why the CHIPS Act aims to onshore, or near shore, semiconductor manufacturing. This is all in Purdue’s wheelhouse, as America’s “Semiconductor University.” Mark Lundstrom, Purdue’s chief semiconductor officer, draws upon his 50 years in the field to discuss technologies like advanced packaging that are driving sector innovation forward; the challenges to building out an enduring semiconductor ecosystem in the United States; and how Purdue is tackling the No. 1 industry challenge — workforce development — by leading an urgent, ambitious effort to educate engineers and skilled technicians for the most sophisticated and foundational technology we humans manufacture.

It’s widely agreed by all that United States infrastructure is in dire need of improvement, getting low grades like C- and D- in various studies. Luna Lu wants to make our aging infrastructure “smarter.” She’s leveraging the Internet of Things via her smart, materials-based sensor technology and novel, interpretive data-processing methods, enabling infrastructure to monitor and wirelessly communicate its condition with current and actionable information so we can detect problems earlier and mitigate them. This can vastly improve infrastructure maintenance and modernization, so our roads and bridges can keep commerce and people moving safely and efficiently and the American economy humming. And Lu, the Reilly Professor of Civil Engineering in the Lyles School of Civil Engineering at Purdue, isn’t done with her innovation journey — her sensor-based testing technology is gaining wider use across other sectors, and next on her agenda is investigating the manufacture of plant-based cement to provide not only carbon neutrality but a carbon-negative construction material that can absorb CO2 in permanent storage.

In this episode, we’ll have a conversation with Dr. Donna Riley, the Kamyar Haghighi Head of Engineering Education and discuss the origin of the first School of Engineering Education in the world, the transformation of our First-Year Engineering program, and how we adapted to the Covid-19 pandemic.  Dr. Riley shares about the founder of Purdue's School of Engineering Education, Kamyar Haghighi and his vision for the first School of Engineering Education in the world.  She also discusses the research based approach used to transform the First-Year Engineering program to increase student engagement and retention.  Prior to becoming Head of the Purdue’s School of Engineering Education Dr. Riley was Professor and Interim Head in the Department of Engineering Education at Virginia Tech. From 2013 to 2015, she served as Program Director for Engineering Education at the National Science Foundation (NSF). Riley spent thirteen years as a founding faculty member of the Picker Engineering Program at Smith College, the first engineering program at a U.S. women’s college.  Riley earned a B.S.E. in chemical engineering from Princeton University and a Ph.D. from Carnegie Mellon University in Engineering and Public Policy. She is a fellow of the American Society for Engineering Education.  See full bio.

In this episode highlighting the School of Mechanical Engineering (ME), we meet Eric Nauman, a professor of mechanical engineering at Purdue University. We'll learn more about his work to to reduce head injuries in sports. In this episode, Professor Eric Nauman shares about his work to reduce head injuries in sports. He is a sought-after expert in concussion research, in both American football and soccer. For his biggest research project, he collaborated with former Purdue School of Electrical and Computer Engineering professor Tom Talavage, who is now the head of biomedical engineering at the University of Cincinnati. They placed acceleration sensors on the heads of high school football players, and also conducted fMRI studies of their brains. By coordinating the two datasets, Nauman found remarkable evidence that it's not just concussions that cause brain damage. As well as being a member of Purdue's Mechanical Engineering faculty, Nauman is a professor of Basic Medical Sciences and Biomedical Engineering (by courtesy), and Director of the Honors Programs in the College of Engineering. He directs the HIRRT Laboratory (Human Injury Research and Regenerative Technologies) at Purdue. He earned both his PhD and MSME from the University of California - Berkeley. His research interests include: cell and tissue mechanics, human injury, adult stem cell-based tissue regeneration, and biophysics and biotransport. This is one of three episodes featuring Purdue University's School of Mechanical Engineering. Listen to more about ME and other engineering topics at the Purdue Engineering podcast website.

In this episode highlighting the School of Mechanical Engineering (ME), we meet Nina Mahmoudian, an associate professor of mechanical engineering at Purdue University. We'll learn more about her work with controlling individual and multiple autonomous vehicles in harsh dynamic environments, addressing challenges that currently limit the use of autonomous vehicles in unknown complex situations. Professor Nina Mahmoudian shares about her work with autonomous vehicles, specifically, underwater vehicles. The interview took place at Fairfield Lakes in Lafayette, Indiana, where she and her students were testing the next generation of autonomous underwater vehicle docking. So imagine a marine robot, yellow, about 4 feet long, that looks like a torpedo. Then imagine a small inflatable catamaran, on which they've installed a docking platform for that torpedo. Both the marine robot and the catamaran can move autonomously, and find each other on the lake, so that the underwater vehicle can recharge itself with no human intervention. It's really something to see, and Professor Mahmoudian says she has her sights set beyond air, land, and sea, all the way to docking on other planets. Mahmoudian joined Purdue University's School of Mechanical Engineering in 2019, after spending eight years as faculty at Michigan Technological University. Her PhD is in Aerospace Engineering from Virginia Tech. She received the 2015 Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Program (YIP) award and the  2015 National Science Foundation CAREER award. Her research interests include: Nonlinear Control and Dynamics, Autonomous Systems, Cyber-physical Systems, Cooperative Control of Multi Agent Systems. This is one of three episodes featuring Purdue University's School of Mechanical Engineering. Listen to more about ME and other engineering topics at the Purdue Engineering podcast website.

In this episode highlighting the School of Mechanical Engineering (ME), we meet Greg Shaver, a professor of mechanical engineering at Purdue University. We'll learn more about his work with connected Class 8 trucks and autonomous truck platooning. Professor Greg Shaver shares about his work with autonomous commercial vehicles, specifically with class 8 tractor trailers. These big rigs haul about 70% of the freight in the US, and consume 25% of the nation's fuel. If these trucks could be made more efficient -- even just a little bit -- there would be huge cost savings, and at the same time, significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Professor Shaver is working on platooning, in which one truck autonomously follows another at close range. Once in a platoon, the air resistance lowers, and this alone can increase fuel economy up to 15%. And, counterintuitively, it's actually much safer, because connected trucks react much more quickly than human drivers do. We talked to Professor Shaver about how important it is for academics to work with industry and government to tackle these big challenges. Shaver joined Purdue University's School of Mechanical Engineering faculty in 2006. His PhD and MSME are from Stanford University, and his BSME is from Purdue University. His research interests include: Model-based system and control design of commercial vehicle power trains, connected and automated commercial vehicles, internal combustion engine and after-treatment system design and controls, and flexible valve actuation in diesel and natural gas engines.  Shaver is also currently involved in the Purdue Engineering Initiative in Autonomous and Connected Systems and recently participated in a webinar on "Advancing Driver-Centric Automation to Enhance Safety and Efficiency in Freight Trucking" This is one of three episodes featuring Purdue University's School of Mechanical Engineering. Listen to more about ME and other engineering topics at the Purdue Engineering podcast website.

Ran Dai, associate professor of aeronautics and astronautics discusses her research on controlling autonomous systems in unmanned ground/aerial vehicles.

Carson Slabaugh is featured on the Purdue Engineering podcast discussing his advanced propulsion and combustion research at Maurice J. Zucrow Labs

In this episode highlighting the Agricultural and Biological Engineering, we meet Mohit Verma, an assistant professor in Agriculture and Biological Engineering at Purdue University and learn more about his work to develop a rapid diagnostic tool for Covid-19. This is one of two episodes featuring Purdue University's Agricultural and Biological Engineering. Listen to more about ABE and other engineering topics at the Purdue Engineering podcast website.

In this episode highlighting the Agricultural and Biological Engineering (ABE), we meet Dennis Buckmaster, a Professor in Agriculture and Biological Engineering and Dean’s Fellow for Digital Agriculture in the College of Agriculture and learn more about his many projects involving digital agriculture. This is one of two episodes featuring Purdue University's Agricultural and Biological Engineering. Listen to more about ABE and other engineering topics at the Purdue Engineering podcast website.

In this episode highlighting the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, we meet Maria Dadarlat, an assistant professor of biomedical engineering at Purdue University and learn more about her work in neuroscience and neural engineering. Professor Maria Dadarlat's research is aimed at developing artificial sensation for brain-machine interfaces, which could ultimately help restore motor control to people who have lost the ability to move due to paralysis or injury.     Professor Dadarlat joined the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering faculty in August 2019. She received her BS in biomedical engineering from Purdue University and her PhD in the UC Berkeley-UCSF Joint Graduate Program in Bioengineering. Dadarlat is interested in understanding how animals learn to use novel sensory information to guide movements and in the application of these principles to neural prostheses. Her thesis work concerned the latter topic, studying how to use electrical stimulation of primary somatosensory cortex to deliver artificial sensation.  This is one of three episodes featuring Purdue University's Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering.  Listen to more about Biomedical Engineering and other engineering topics at the Purdue Engineering podcast website.  Special thanks to Shruthi Suresh, our guest host for this podcast.  Shruthi is a PhD candidate at the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering with a Bilsland Dissertation Fellowship and was previously a Leslie Bottorff Fellow.  Her research focuses on using signal processing, machine learning and data science to help individuals with mobility and visual impairments. When not in the lab, Shruthi can be found out on a run or curled up reading a book.

In this episode highlighting the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, we meet Krishna Jayant, an assistant professor of biomedical engineering at Purdue University and learn about his research on the applications of technology to neuroscience. Professor Krishna Jayant shares how he shifted research focus after earning his PhD in electrical engineering to study neuroscience as a postdoctoral fellow.  His passion for brain research is fueled by his work toward the next big discovery. He also encourages future engineers and scientists to start doing research as early as possible to gain a wide range of experiences.  Professor Jayant joined the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering faculty in December 2018. He received his MS and PhD in electrical and computer engineering from Cornell University and B.Tech. in electrical and electronic engineering from National Institute of Technology Tiruchirappalli. Prior to joining Purdue, he was a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Electrical Engineering at Columbia University, a research project collaborator at ARCES at the University of Bologna, Italy, and a research assistant at Indian Institute of Sciences, Bangalore, India. Jayant is interested in bridging nanoscience and neuroscience. He is developing nanoprobes and integrated electronic systems to use in conjunction with two-photon microscopy and electrophysiology to study how fundamental biophysical features of neurons, including synaptic and dendritic mechanisms, influence neural circuit computation in vitro and in vivo.  Learn more by visiting Professor Jayant's lab website:  Nano Neurotechnology Lab This is one of three episodes featuring Purdue University's Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering.  Listen to more about Biomedical Engineering and other engineering topics at the Purdue Engineering podcast website.  Special thanks to Shruthi Suresh, our guest host for this podcast.  Shruthi is a PhD candidate at the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering with a Bilsland Dissertation Fellowship and was previously a Leslie Bottorff Fellow.  Her research focuses on using signal processing, machine learning and data science to help individuals with mobility and visual impairments. When not in the lab, Shruthi can be found out on a run or curled up reading a book.

In this episode highlighting the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, we meet Elsje Pienaar, an assistant professor of biomedical engineering. We'll discuss her work to discover host-pathogen interactions through computational simulations. Professor Eljse Pienaar shares about her experience using sophisticated computational models of systems pharmacology to help predict the effectiveness of drugs in a patient with hopes of accelerating drug development and offers advice to future biomedical engieers with an interest in her area of research.  Professor Pienaar earned her MS and PhD in chemical and biomolecular engineering from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and did postdoctoral work in microbiology, immunology and chemical engineering at the University of Michigan as well as at Linköping University, Sweden. Her laboratory uses computational simulations of within-host pathogen, immune and drug dynamics to optimize treatment of infectious diseases. Current projects in the lab include TB, HIV, non-tuberculous mycobacterial infections and Ebola virus dynamics.  Learn more by visiting Pienaar's lab website:  Computational Systems Pharmacology Lab This is one of three episodes featuring Purdue University's Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering.  Listen to more about Biomedical Engineering and other engineering topics at the Purdue Engineering podcast website.  Special thanks to Shruthi Suresh, our guest host for this podcast.  Shruthi is a PhD candidate at the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering with a Bilsland Dissertation Fellowship and was previously a Leslie Bottorff Fellow.  Her research focuses on using signal processing, machine learning and data science to help individuals with mobility and visual impairments. When not in the lab, Shruthi can be found out on a run or curled up reading a book.

In this episode highlighting Nuclear Engineering, we meet Professor Shripad Revankar, Director of the Multiphase and Fuel Cell Research Laboratory in the School of Nuclear Engineering. We'll discuss his work with gas-cooled small modular reactors, part of generation IV of nuclear reactors, which are the safest and most efficient designs yet. Gas-cooled small modular reactors operate at high temperatures up to 1,000 degrees celsius, are small and transportable, and can power areas that lack gridlines or support existing grids. These reactors are also practically autonomous, with minimal refueling and maintenance needs. Professor Revankar speaks to how nuclear energy complements the emergence of renewable energy, as it produces 55 percent of America’s carbon-free energy. Because many renewables are intermittent and dependent on environmental conditions, it is important to have a base energy that supplies continuous power that simultaneously supports environmental health. In order to be licensed, reactor designs must contain detailed accident mitigation technologies and procedures.  Because small modular reactors have not been commercially built/operated yet, the regulatory process is still under way. To this end, Revankar is working to address depolarisation nuclear accidents, in which reactors have leaks from their primary systems. When this occurs, there is a chance the oxygen will come back and oxidize the reactor core, which can lead to overheating and meltdown. Revankar is developing an experimental setup, in collaboration with Texas A&M University and the Imperial College of London, through which they can test these accidents and determine mitigation strategies. This research will help ensure the safety of the gas-cooled reactors and assist developed and developing countries in reducing their greenhouse gas emissions. This summer, Professor Revankar worked with both undergraduate and graduate students to perform scaling analysis on the experimental system setup, in addition to work with CAD modeling and other design projects. His research is approachable for college students of all ages, relevant, and pertinent to the success of generation IV reactors. Revankar’s passion for the field is tangible in each conversation he has, and he is driven each day by the passion exuded by his students, nuclear’s boundless applications, and the constant evolution and excitement of the field. This is one of four episodes featuring Purdue University's Nuclear Engineering. Listen to more about Nuclear Engineering and others engineering topics at the Purdue Engineering podcast website.  Special thanks to Destiny White, our guest host for this podcast.  Destiny is a junior in nuclear engineering at Purdue University. Throughout her three years, she has participated in activities ranging from rowing to nuclear security research. She currently serves as the founder and president of Minorities in Nuclear Engineering and Sciences (MINES), the treasurer of Purdue’s American Nuclear Society chapter, and a teaching assistant for the honors engineering program. Her current career aspiration is to work with uranium chemistry and safeguards inspection.

In this episode highlighting Nuclear Engineering, we meet Professor Lefteri Tsoukalas, professor in Nuclear engineering and a renowned scholar on deep neural networks. He’ll be sharing insights on how artificial intelligence is being integrated into nuclear power systems and nuclear security. Tsoukalas is recipient of the Humboldt Prize and an internationally renowned expert in signal processing algorithms applied to nuclear materials detection and non-proliferation, smart sensor development and advanced measurement techniques. He has extensive experience as a safeguards engineer and as a nuclear instrumentation and controls specialist and has served in several advisory and consulting positions for national and international regulatory agencies. He has more than 25 years of accumulated experience as project manager of competitively funded projects sponsored, among others, by NNSA, NRC, DOD, DOE and EPRI. His research covers both experimental and model development studies, signal processing techniques, including cutting edge multi-variant statistical methods, Gaussian processes for background estimation, wavelet analysis and Hilbert-Huang transforms. This is one of four episodes featuring Purdue University's Nuclear Engineering. Listen to more about Nuclear Engineering and others engineering topics at the Purdue Engineering podcast website Special thanks to Destiny White, our guest host for this podcast.  Destiny is a junior in nuclear engineering at Purdue University. Throughout her three years, she has participated in activities ranging from rowing to nuclear security research. She currently serves as the founder and president of Minorities in Nuclear Engineering and Sciences (MINES), the treasurer of Purdue’s American Nuclear Society chapter, and a teaching assistant for the honors engineering program. Her current career aspiration is to work with uranium chemistry and safeguards inspection.

In this episode highlighting Nuclear Engineering, we meet Dr. Ran Kong, a post-doctoral research associate working with the head of the School of Nuclear Engineering, Dr. Seungjin Kim. He'll discuss his work with a Versatile Test Reactor and how it will contribute to the future of nuclear energy. Dr. Kong’s original intention was to study coal power plants during his undergraduate studies in China, yet after taking an “intro to nuclear energy” course, he learned of the importance of carbon-free emissions to the planet’s future. The nuclear industry’s reliability, emphasis on safety, and sustainability drew Dr. Kong to study nuclear engineering as a way to steer the world away from the toxicity of carbon emitters. Dr. Kong works in the Thermal-Hydraulics and Reactor Safety Laboratory (TRSL) at Purdue with the goal of design improvements for high-performing reactor systems. In the TRSL, Kong has the capability to study fluid mechanics, heat and mass transfer, and safety in nuclear systems. His current focus is his work with the Versatile Test Reactor (VTR), a Department of Energy-funded program intended to accelerate and improve generation IV reactor designs. Dr. Kong is collaborating with Argonne National Laboratory and Idaho National Laboratory to design the VTR’s sodium-cooled cartridge loop to assist the development of sodium fast reactors. The VTR program contributes directly to the United States’ ability to maintain its leadership in advanced reactor technologies, which was threatened by the shutdown of the Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF) in the 1990s. The VTR re-establishes the testing capability, allowing for the continuous development of new materials and nuclear fuels for the next generation of reactors. The global market for nuclear power technology is estimated at $1 trillion, nuclear power generation is projected to grow 73% by 2040, and most of the existing reactors are on track to retire within the next few decades. Thus, the contributions of the VTR are crucial if the United States, and even the world, is to keep up with global energy demand in the future. Read Dr. Kong's Medium article about the Versatile Test Reactor (VTR) This is one of four episodes featuring Purdue University's Nuclear Engineering. Listen to more about Nuclear Engineering and other engineering topics at the Purdue Engineering podcast website.  Special thanks to Destiny White, our guest host for this podcast.  Destiny is a junior in nuclear engineering at Purdue University. Throughout her three years, she has participated in activities ranging from rowing to nuclear security research. She currently serves as the founder and president of Minorities in Nuclear Engineering and Sciences (MINES), the treasurer of Purdue’s American Nuclear Society chapter, and a teaching assistant for the honors engineering program. Her current career aspiration is to work with uranium chemistry and safeguards inspection.

Clive Townsend is the reactor supervisor for PUR-1, Purdue University’s Reactor 1, and is responsible for its safe operation, assuring that all operations are conducted in a safe manner and within the limits prescribed by the facility license. In this episode, Townsend shares his experience in helping to manage Indiana's only nuclear reactor and the first nuclear reactor in the U.S. to have all digital instrumentation and controls.  We'll also learn what is unique about PUR-1 and how it is used for teaching, research, and outreach at Purdue.   Learn more about Purdue University's Reactor 1 and view a photo gallery and video of PUR-1 This is one of four episodes featuring Nuclear Engineering at Purdue University. Listen to others from Nuclear Engineering and other Purdue Engineering podcast episodes.

For July 2020, we are featuring research from across Environmental and Ecological Engineering (known as EEE at Purdue) in three episodes.  This second episode hosted by John Sutherland, the Fehsenfeld Family Head of Environmental and Ecological Engineering and features an interview with EEE's Caitlin Proctor and Andrew Whelton about their NSF Rapid Response grant to study the water systems in buildings that were closed or shutdown during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Caitlin Proctor is a Lillian Gilbreth postdoctoral fellow currently working with three advisors across four schools: Dr. John Howarter, Associate Professor of Materials Engineering and Environmental and Ecological Engineering, Dr. Andrew Whelton, Associate Professor of Civil Engineering and Environmental and Ecological Engineering, and Dr. Paul Robinson, Professor of Biomedical Engineering. She came to Purdue University after completing her Ph.D. in Life Sciences at the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology at Eidgenossische Technische Hochschule (ETH), Zurich, Switzerland. Andrew J Whelton, is an associate professor of Civil Engineering and Environmental and Ecological Engineering and his team investigates and solves problems that affect our natural and built environments. His expertise focusses on environmental chemistry and engineering, disasters, polymer science and engineering, water quality, infrastructure, and public health. For more information about Purdue's Plumbing Safety research visit:  plumbingsafety.org  Related News:  NY Times: After Coronavirus, Office Workers Might Face Unexpected Health ThreatsThe Conversation: The coronavirus pandemic might make buildings sick, tooPurdue News: Water quality could change in buildings closed down during COVID-19 pandemic, engineers say For more podcasts, visit the Purdue Engineering podcast website.

For July 2020, we are featuring research from across Environmental and Ecological Engineering (known as EEE at Purdue) in three episodes.  This third episode hosted by John Sutherland, the Fehsenfeld Family Head of Environmental and Ecological Engineering and features an interview with Professor Fu Zhao, an international leader in life cycle engineering, who also has a joint appointment in mechanical engineering.   Zhao discusses the environmental approach to industrial sustainability which explores the impact of processes and products on the environment across their life span. His research team in the Sustainable Engineering, Technology and Systems Lab studies a wide range of areas including 3D printer emissions, sustainable electronics, energy efficiency of digital manufacturing and rare earth elements.   For more podcasts, visit the Purdue Engineering podcast website.