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Spring 2011

UMD HOSTS A "FIRST" ROBOTICS KICKOFF

FIRST, or "For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology", is a long-standing challenge to inspire curiosity and create interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics among high school students.

The overall competition, started by Dean Kamen, Founder, gives high school students the opportunity to design, build, test and compete a robot that can perform specific functions.

For the first time, Duluth is hosting a Regional competition for over 42 schools in the Lake Superior Regional from March 10-12 at the DECC.

Twelve of the regional high schools (Hibbing, Duluth East, Deer River, Cook County, Greenway, William Kelly, Cass Lake, Lake of the Woods, Bugonaygeshig, Trek North, Northome, and Eveleth-Gilbert) received their materials and instructions via a video link from NASA on Saturday, January 8th. Over 200 students, teachers, and parents participated.

Each year, FIRST presents a new robotics competition scenario with twists and nuances to challenge both rookie and veteran teams. Each team received a kit of parts and has six weeks to design and build a robot based on the team's interpretation of the game scenario presented at the Kickoff.

Other than dimension, weight, and safety restrictions, the look and function of the robots is up to each individual team. East High students demonstrated their 2010 entry at the Kickoff. Students from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering have been mentoring the Duluth East High school team for three years.

This is a major UMD SCSE outreach initiative with K-12 to enhance STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education in our regional high schools.

Civil Engineering: New Program Energizes Students

The UMD student newspaper, "The Statesman" highlights reactions of Civil Engineering students to the new building and program. Read more in The Statesman.

Field-based Geological Educational Programs Gain Global Reputation

In 2006, the Precambrian Research Center (PRC) was organized as a geologic field mapping institute jointly managed by the Natural Resources Research Institute and the Department of Geological Sciences.

The main program of the PRC is a six-week summer field camp in northeast Minnesota that attracts advanced geology students from throughout the US. The camp is unique in its focus on ancient Precambrian rocks of the Canadian Shield. Students in the PRC camp are trained not only in geologic skills that are particularly useful in this terrane (i.e. use of geophysics, glacial till mapping, drill core logging), but are also shown how to navigate through the wetlands and boreal forests of our area.

Another major PRC program is professional workshops held annually at UMD on various topics related to field studies in the Lake Superior region. In October of 2009, 22 geoscientists attended a workshop on the geology and mineral deposits of gabbroic rocks, such as the Duluth Complex. There are plans for a third workshop this coming October on the geology of iron formations.(read more)

Students Compete in Clean Snowmobile Challenge

Engineering students competed with teams from 19 schools in the Clean Snowmobile Challenge, a collegiate design competition sponsored by the Society of Automotive Engineers. Students from participating schools take a stock snowmobile and reengineer it to reduce emissions and noise while maintaining or boosting performance.

The UMD team was one of only three teams that completed a 40 mile endurance run over a difficult track that included snow, slush, mud, and water. Although held at the Michigan Technological University Keweenaw Research Center March 15-19, temperatures were above 50 degrees which was highly unusual.

The team's two-stroke sled performance was very competitive with respect to noise, fuel economy, emissions, and general handling. In addition the team received the Hawk Technology Safety Award. (watch video and read more)

2010 Distinguished Teaching Award Honors Dr. Bruce Peckham

Professor Bruce Peckham, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, is this year's recipient of the Jean G. Blehart Distinguished Teaching Award. This honor is given each year to a faculty member who has made contributions to the teaching mission of UMD that are of extraordinary quality.

Bruce Peckham hails from the northern New York town of Canton. He earned his Ph.D. in Mathematics in 1988 from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. Following a two-year postdoctoral position at Boston University, he came to UMD, where he has been a member of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics since 1990. He held sabbatical positions at the Institute Nonlinear de Nice in France, the department of Applied Mathematics at the University of Colorado in Boulder, and the Department of Applied Math at the University of Bristol in Bristol, England. He is currently Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics. He has so far advised twenty five undergraduate and graduate research projects, and supervised several teams of undergraduate students – many which have performed well nationally - in the annual Mathematical Contest in Modeling. He has also been the advisor for many years for the Math Club. Professor Peckham's research area is Dynamical Systems, which includes the mathematical study of chaos. His research, which has been supported by three National Science Foundation grants, includes both theoretical study of dynamical systems, and use of dynamical systems to model ecological populations. He has coauthored articles with faculty and students from UMD, and faculty from UMTC, Princeton University, and universities in England, France and Switzerland. He has given over fifty talks at colloquia and conferences across Minnesota, the United States, and Europe.

Dr. Peckham receives his award during a ceremony and reception to be held Monday, May 3rd at 2:30 p.m. in Griggs Center. Please join us to honor Professor Peckham.

Biomedical Research - Bridges and Pathways Program

Qualifying community college students have help getting entry into biomedical research/science related majors at the UMD. The program objective is to prepare students to enter into the university with the scholastic skills to succeed in the 3rd and 4th years of college. To meet these goals, students participate in an academic year program during the fall and spring semesters on a 10 hour per week basis, and a summer program for eight weeks that runs full time. Upon acceptance into the program students will be offered a research assistant position with compensation. read more and download applications

Swenson College of Science and Engineering Enrollment

Enrollment at the Swenson College of Science and Engineering (SCSE) continues to grow. The fall of 2009 saw overall SCSE enrollment of 2,562 undergraduates. This was the highest enrollment in SCSE history. Of those 2,562 students, 608 were freshman.

Freshmen enrollment in SCSE for the fall of 2010 is projected to be 635 individuals. This number will ensure that students can get into the courses that they need. "We are committed to making sure that our students can stay on track to graduate in a timely manner" said Janny B. Walker, in SCSE Student Affairs.

Due to the overwhelming response, SCSE stopped accepting applications from new freshman in engineering programs in December 2009. SCSE stopped accepting applications for the rest of SCSE programs in January 2010.

Dean Jim Riehl's Book Released

Mirror-Image Asymmetry: An Introduction to the Origin and Consequences of Chirality As scientists have become more capable of probing the structure of three-dimensional objects at the molecular level, the need to understand the concept and the consequences of mirror-image asymmetry-chirality-has increased enormously. Written at an introductory level, Mirror-Image Asymmetry provides an overview of the importance and effects of asymmetry from the atomic and molecular world of physics and chemistry to the organisms and structures that we see and use in our everyday life. The reader will develop a broad appreciation of three-dimensional asymmetry from the microscopic molecular world to the macroscopic world of handedness, automobile driving, windmills, sports, and similar phenomena.

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