Tag Archives: Engineering

Faculty Faction: Tony Vercellino

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Dr. Tony Vercellino, assistant professor of Civil Engineering, didn’t originally want to teach.

“Ten years ago if you asked me if I would be teaching at a university, I would have said you’re out of your mind,” he said.

But luckily for us STEMians, he changed his mind.

“I [thought I] was just going to be an engineer working with construction, and then I did the consulting stuff, found out it wasn’t my cup of tea, went back to school, got the opportunity to teach and found out I really liked it,” Vercellino said. “I guess you could say I kind of fell into it. I like being able to teach and being able to interact with the students and watch the ideas click whenever you explain something well in the classroom.”

He said he likes the small-school feel of the university, and that’s what made YSU appealing to him.

“I came from a big research university and that atmosphere was too research focused compared to what I want to do. It’s easy to lose touch with students at such a big university,” Vercellino said.

One of his main goals is to build a successful research program and further the name of the university. He said he wants to help build the program to be well-rounded so the students that do want to come here can get a broad environmental background as a part of their civil engineering degree.

He hasn’t started research yet, but Vercellino said he is looking to get into oil and gas research as well as broaden his research background in water and wastewater treatment. He is currently putting together a research article about the uptake of micropollutants in agriculture due to wastewater reuse, and will be serving as a professional mentor to the YSU chapter of Engineers Without Borders.

When he’s not in the classroom, you can find him refereeing ice hockey in his spare time or rooting for his favorite teams, the St. Louis Cardinals and the St. Louis Blues.

Sink or Float? The Annual Penguin Regatta

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Each year, area schools gather in Beeghly Center to see who will sink and who will float. The annual Penguin Regatta, held on Tuesday, May 14th, 2013 was a day of learning, building, and celebrating area high school students, our future STEMians.

The morning started off with the students in the gymnasium for a planning session and boat building. The boats have to be constructed out of cardboard, duct tape, waterproofing substances, and plastic sheeting. The boat must have a bow, stern, and hull.

The Penguin Regatta is made up of a series of competitions including Showboat Design, Showboat Race, The Greatest Weight Afloat, Follow-The-Dotted-Line, and the technical journal. The teams must also present their boats in an oral competition.

The Penguin Regatta has several goals in mind for the students. One is for the students to have an increased knowledge of STEM, while encouraging the students to work together with critical thinking and problem solving skills.

“[W]alking into YSU that morning, we were all pretty nervous.” Julie Farley, now a Struthers High School graduate, says, “…even though at the beginning I didn’t want to do [the Penguin Regatta], I’m glad I got the opportunity to go. It was actually a lot of fun!”

This year there were participating teams from Chaney STEM, Choffin Career and Technical Center (Team 1 and Team 2), Springfield Local High School, Struthers High School (Team 1 and Team 2), University Project Learning Center, and West Branch High School (Team 1 and Team 2).

While all the students had fun cheering on their schools, Springfield Local High School came out on top, winning three of the six competitions. They placed first in the team presentations, the technical journal, and the Greatest Weight Afloat. Coming first in the Showboat Design competition was Chaney STEM. Struthers High School Team 1 won the Showboat Race. West Branch High School Team 1 won first place in the Follow-The-Dotted-Line Competition.

Showboat Design

  • 1st Chaney STEM
  • 2nd Springfield Local
  • 3rd Choffin Team 2

Showboat Race

  • 1st Struthers Team 1
  • 2nd Struthers Team 2
  • 3rd Choffin Team 1 

Technical Journal

  • 1st Springfield Local
  • 2nd Struthers Team 2
  • 3rd Struthers Team 1

Team Oral Presentations

  • 1st Springfield Local
  • 2nd West Branch Team 2
  • 3rd Struthers Team 1

Follow-The-Dotted-Line

  • 1st West Branch Team 1
  • 2nd Struthers Team 2
  • 3rd Struthers Team 1

Greatest Weight Afloat

  • 1st Springfield Local
  • 2nd West Branch Team 2
  • 3rd Struthers

STEM Showcase is coming!

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STEM Showcase will be holding its annual event on Sunday, April 21st, 2013 from 2-4:30 pm. STEM Showcase is a celebration of student accomplishments. Primarily, students will be showing off their design projects to their parents, friends, teachers, and the community. Some students will be showing their research along with their advising faulty. There will be displays of projects and informal presentations.

STEM Showcase started a little over ten years ago for mechanical engineering students and later all engineering students. Now open to all STEM students, the STEM College is looking forward to showing off its students and their accomplishments. Last year there were approximately 30 projects and had a record number in attendance.

The STEM Showcase will be held in Moser Hall or, if weather permits, outside Moser Hall. There will also be 15-20 minute tours of the STEM College laboratories.

STEM SHOWCASE 2013 Flyer

Kerry Meyers, Ph.D.- Faculty Faction

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kmeyersjan13

Youngstown State University is privileged to have Dr. Kerry Meyers on the faculty this year.Kerry brings passion, fun, and learning to the job of “First-Year Engineering Director.

Dr. Meyers earned her bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue. She continued with her masters in Mechanical Engineering at Oakland University in Michigan. Returning to Purdue, Kerry earned her Ph.D. in Engineering Education. For her Ph.D. Kerry did research in student engagement and engineering identity (who goes into engineering, who stays in engineering, and why?).

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Incredible Edible Cars! The First Edible Car Competition At YSU!

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While the future of cars keeps evolving, edible cars may not be the best road to travel down. But for STEM students, edible cars are a great way to learn and apply the different aspects of engineering. At the beginning of the month, almost 50 first-year engineering students participated in the First Edible Car Competition. The three-person groups were judged on speed, distance, and creativity.

Check out the video to see how some of the cars were created!

STEM Showcase

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In Moser Hall, engineering projects such as the concrete canoe, steel bridge, and moon rover, competed for space with posters including one which described research that developed a mathematical modeling of fracking, for example, as approximately  30 student projects were on display at the College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Showcase held on Sunday, April 22. The three-hour event provided an opportunity for STEM students to present their projects to peers, faculty, and the community.

In addition, Dr. Nathan Ritchey, chair of the Mathematics department, welcomed roughly 40 outstanding high school seniors into the STEM Leadership Society (SLS). These incoming fall 2012 students, among the best graduates from their high schools, were selected based on their written application and in-person interview. These outstanding student leaders will have the chance to be engaged in community service, research, and internships through their four year program as STEM majors at YSU.

Upcoming member Matt Pelch, senior at Howland High school will be majoring in computer engineering, and said that computer courses and interest in video games lead to his decision to enroll at YSU. Pelch added that he looks forward to be a part of SLS and YSU.

STEM students spent months, or longer on projects, typically in teams. A part of NASA’s Great Moonbuggy Race, Mike Uhaus and his team were on hand to show their moonbuggy rover, which was a part of a national competition. The event is held in Huntsville Alabama, and high school and college students may participate. Two riders, one male and one female, face away from each other to pedal this human-powered vehicle. Uhaus noted that “last year the team experienced a suspension failure” so for this year’s competition the team focused primarily on suspension design.

Senior mechanical engineering student Chris Fenstermaker and his team worked with Canfield, Ohio, Linde Hydraulics, on the hydraulic system for wind turbine. The team, found, researched, and purchased a small- scale wind turbine then “designed a hydraulic system to fit the turbine size that we purchased.”

Junior Mechanical Engineering student Ken Minteer worked with art student Chris Kamykowski on a Collaborative Learning (CoLab) project. CoLab is an effort from the College of Fine and Performing Arts and STEM to bring art and engineering together.

Minteer described how Kamykowski wanted to make a barrel of monkeys cast out of bronze. With Kamykowski’s design, Minteer made templates on SolidWorks, a 3D program. “From there” Minteer said “we printed them out on our thermal jet printer.” In Bliss Hall, Kamykowski was able to finish the process by baking the molds and pouring the bronze from the two-coil induction furnace located in the art department.

The 2012 Showcase marked a hike in attendance. STEM students were able to present their hard work to families, media, and the community, who were able to see first-hand the capabilities of STEM College students. Also, high school students from area schools were in attendance to learn more about the YSU STEM program, and opportunities for research and project activities.

STEM Showcase

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On April 22, Moser Hall was the location for the annual College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Showcase. The three hour event serves as a way for undergraduate STEM students to present their research projects to the campus community, as well as have high school students see, first hand, the opportunities available at the College and YSU.

About 30 projects were on display, such as the concrete canoe and moon rover. STEM faculty was also present to guide tours through research laboratories and answer questions.

In addition, Dr. Nathan Ritchey, chair of the Mathematics & Statistics Department, welcomed incoming Fall 2012 YSU students who will be inducted into the STEM Leadership Society (SLS).  Through an application process, SLS accepts exceptional high schools students majoring in any STEM discipline.  The students will be involved in community service, internships, and various research initiatives.

Dr. Steven R. Little

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Photo by Joshua Franzos

The Swanson School of Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh is proud to announce that Associate Professor Steven Little, PhD has been appointed Chair of the Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, effective May 1, 2020.

Dr. Little’s research focuses on the controlled release of drugs. He holds the Bicentennial Board of Visitors Endowed Faculty Fellowship and also retains appointments in the McGowan Institute of Regenerative Medicine and in the Swanson School’s Department of Bioengineering. Recently, he was elected Chair of the Drug Delivery Special Interest Group in the Society for Biomaterials.

Dr. Little joined the Swanson School of Engineering in 2006 where his research focuses on the controlled release of drugs. He holds the Bicentennial Board of Visitors Endowed Faculty Fellowship and also retains appointments in the McGowan Institute of Regenerative Medicine and in the Swanson School’s Department of Bioengineering. Recently, he was elected Chair of the Drug Delivery Special Interest Group in the Society for Biomaterials.

Dr. Little holds eight US patents and provisional applications for patents including new methods to fabricate controlled release vehicles in a high throughput fashion; dissolvable synthetic-vasculature; novel complex delivery vehicles; and a description of the first degradable, artificial cell. Since joining Pitt, Dr. Little has received funding from the National Institutes for Health, the National Science Foundation, the US Army, the US Department of Defense, the American Heart Association, The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation, the Wallace H. Coulter Foundation, and several industrial sources that total almost $5 million.

Dr. Little received his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering in 2005 from Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he held three National Graduate Fellowships and received the American Association for the Advancement of Science Excellence in Research Award for his work on engineered therapies that interface with the human immune system. He received a bachelor of engineering in Chemical Engineering from Youngstown State University in 2000.

YSU Engineering Students Win Concrete Canoe Competition

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Youngstown State University’s Concrete Canoe team dominated their regional competition at the University of Pittsburgh on March 30, placing first in four out of five races. The team also won first place awards for best design paper and best finished product, and placed first overall in the competition. They qualified to participate in the National Concrete Canoe Competition to be held June 15-16 at the University of Nevada, Reno. Nathan Knapp, a senior in civil engineering, is the concrete canoe team captain.

The competition was part of the annual American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Ohio Valley Student Conference, attended by civil engineering students from thirteen universities, including the University of Pittsburgh, Akron, Cleveland State, Carnegie Mellon, Ohio State, Ohio University, Cincinnati, University of Kentucky, Louisville, and Western Kentucky. The YSU students also placed second in the steel bridge building competition, earning an invitation to the National Student Steel Bridge Building Competition to be held May 24-26 at Clemson University in South Carolina. Dan Phillips, a civil engineering graduate student, is the steel bridge team captain.

In other conference events, the YSU Environmental Design team placed third out of ten teams in a contest requiring the removal of barium from hydraulic fracturing wastewater, and third place in the balsa wood bridge competition. Fourteen YSU engineering students attended the conference, along with faculty advisor, Dr. Scott Martin, and practitioner advisor, Adam DePizzo.

SWE Annual Dinner with Industry

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Recently, the Youngstown State University section of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) held their Third Annual Dinner with Industry in Kilcawley Center. The event promoted social networking in a low-pressure environment for engineering students with representatives from local area engineering companies. The YSU SWE section would like to thank the following companies for participating in and supporting the evening’s events: Ellwood Group, Inc., Ergon-West Virginia, Inc., General Motors, Michael Baker Corporation, ms consultants, inc., Parker Hannifin, R.G. Steel Warren, RTI International Metals, Inc., and V&M Star.

A welcome address, given by Dr. Martin Abraham, Dean of the YSU College of STEM, was followed by dinner and keynote speaker for the evening, Laurie Moore, a Staff Environmental Engineer working for Delphi Automotive Systems, LLC. Ms. Moore, with over thirty-five years’ experience in the engineering and manufacturing industries, delivered guidelines for young engineers who are about to enter the workforce. Her tips included having a mentor within the company as a go-to person who can assist with questions about company policies, and also completing Six Sigma training, an educational asset that can enhance any engineer’s understanding of increasing efficiency in the workplace. The organization looks forward to another successful Dinner with Industry next spring!

Pictured above, from left to right are: Melissa Workoff, section treasurer; Laurie Moore, keynote speaker; Jennifer Moy, section president; Professor Carol Lamb, YSU SWE Advisor; Kathleen Smith, section secretary; and Kayla Herron, section vice president.

This year marks the thirty year anniversary of the establishment of the Society of Women Engineers section here at Youngstown State University. This organization is open to all male and female engineering and engineering technology students, and it is a great way to enhance professional development. Biweekly meetings throughout the semester are held to promote professional development with various speakers and networking opportunities available. Professor Carol Lamb, the section advisor, has been influential in keeping this student association together! For more information about the YSU SWE section, please email ysuswe@gmail.com.

Hybrid LED Exterior Site Pole

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The group consisting of Michael Stanish (Team Leader), JR Harvey, Rey Mejo and Audria Grubbs chose the project “Hybrid LED Exterior Site Pole” to present at the 22nd annual QUEST Forum for Student Scholarship on Tuesday, April 3, 2020. This project is an exterior lighting system that is fully sustained with renewable energy sources such as the wind turbine and the solar panel. The LED fixtures are powered by our batteries during night time. Then, the wind turbine and the solar panel will charge our batteries all day. The purpose of this project is to eliminate dependency of non-renewable energy for exterior lighting application. The result of our design will expand the application of renewable energies for efficient, economical, and environmental engineering purposes. This will create a better future for tomorrow by greatly limiting dependency on non-renewable energy for exterior lighting applications.

Edward W. Powers Women in Science and Engineering Career Day Sets Record in Attendance

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This year’s career day on March 3, 2020 smashed the previous attendance record. One hundred and eighty five middle school and high school girls from over 50 different schools attended.

The keynote speaker, astronomer Dr. Pamela Gay from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, gave an exciting presentation on the history of space exploration and how students have contributed to scientific discovery in the field.

After the talk, the students attended panels where professional women who are working in science and engineering discussed their careers, their training, their lives and the highlights of their jobs. A number of the panelists were YSU graduates, emphasizing the quality education in STEM available at YSU. In the afternoon, STEM faculty and other professionals led a variety of hands-on workshops that allowed the students to experience science and engineering in action. Two new workshops were added this year. The girls built motors and learned about electricity in one and used protein chemistry to identify a suspected criminal in another.

More than 35 Youngstown State University graduate and undergraduate students volunteered their time, helping in workshops and acting as chaperones. This year’s program was enhanced through an endowment from the Edward W. Powers Foundation, which allowed for increased activity, broader workshops, and more well-known speakers.

Not only was this the largest group of participating girls we have had, but they were also very engaged. This shows that word is getting out about the career day and also that area schools are increasing their emphasis on science and technology. We are already looking forward to next year’s program and hope to continue to build on this year’s success.

5th Annual Mahoning Valley Miniature Bridge Building Competition (MVMBBC)

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During the National Engineers’ Week 2012, the 5th Annual MVMBBC was held on Friday, February 24, 2020, from 8 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., in the Chestnut Room of Kilcawley Center at Youngstown State University. A total of 31 teams from 17 different high schools participated this year.

Teams arrived in the morning with their teacher/advisor and constructed their bridges on site, to meet the design specifications established by the competition. After allowing for lunch and glue drying time, bridges were inspected for adherence to design specifications and load-tested until failure. The winning bridge was chosen based on meeting the design criteria and the most efficient load carrying capacity to structure weight ratio. Winning 1st place was Lowellville High School, Team 1 with Carmen Donofiro, Randy Pavlicko and Bryan Schirald; Lowellville High School, Team 2 came in 2nd place with Dean Donatelli, Eric Inskeep and Michael Willliams. Both teams are coached by Travis Williams. This is the 3rd time in 5 years that Lowellville High School has won 1st place in the competition. Winning 3rd place was Niles-M1. The winning team achieved a load to weight ratio/structure efficiency of 1243.

The event involves design and construction of a balsa wood bridge followed by a load testing until failure. The goal of the MVMBBC is to promote civil engineering as a career choice to students, and to provide students with an educational opportunity to apply their knowledge to a real-world application. High school students in the Mahoning and Trumbull Counties are strongly encouraged to participate in this event since it will expose them to some basics of engineering design.

The competition has been organized and supported since 2008 by: Civil & Environmental Engineering at Youngstown State University; Mahoning County Engineer’s Office; Trumbull County Engineer’s Office; and ms consultants, inc.

Art meets Engineering

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Bliss Hall is home to the College of Fine and Performing Arts; however, what’s inside is something you may not expect to find: a two-coil induction furnace.

Through a partnership with the Department of Art and College of STEM Mechanical Engineering Technology (MET) program, the Collaborative Learning Laboratory (CoLab) has brought students together for a joint educational experience.

CoLab was founded three years ago when professor and Department of Art Chair, Greg Moring, and Brian Vuksanovich, professor of MET, wanted to see how their disciplines could come together. The result is an expanding partnership.

CoLab is a project where both art and MET students benefit from “hands on experience” Vuksanovich said, as well as work with state of the art equipment. Art students build metal sculptures, and engineering students work on developing machine parts. Art students …”bring their ideas” Moring said, while engineers know …”how to execute the process.”


Since its induction, CoLab has been able to grow due to the generous support of local businesses and YSU.

Ajax Tocco Magnathermic, a Warren based heating induction and melting manufacturer, donated $125,000 towards the $150,000 two-coil furnace. Tom Illencik, President of Ajax Tocco, provided his support to ensure the installation of the two-coil furnace. The additional $25,000 came from contributions by YSU’s Office of the Provost, College of Fine &Performing Arts, and the College of STEM. Crucibles, which are used for molding metals, were donated by Fireline Inc., another Youngstown company. Prior to the new equipment being installed, students worked with a gas-fired furnace that required projects to last up to 90 minutes. Now, with the two-coil furnace, work can be completed in 15-20 minutes.

Even when art and MET students are not collaborating, both programs will be able to have access to the lab. This provides an opportunity for all students to remain engaged throughout the semester.

For F&PA and STEM, CoLab has been a continual success. Bryan DePoy, dean of F&PA conveyed that by partnering F&PA and STEM students…”we support a whole brain experience for those involved. Engineering students can benefit by working with the creativity inherent in artists, while artists can benefit from the sequential thought process valued in engineering.”

STEM Dean Martin Abraham added, “CoLab is an excellent example of interdisciplinary activity.” For students “working together, they learn how to merge their interests, the practicality with the aesthetic.  It’s truly a one-of-a-kind relationship.”

CTME Advisory Board Meeting

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YSU’s Center for Transportation and Materials Engineering held an Advisory Board Meeting in Moser Hall, Friday, January 6, 2020 with 16 members present including Ms. Cynthia Gerst, Research Program Manager at the Ohio Department of Transportation. The Advisory Board sets policies and procedures for the CTME which are the guidelines Joann Esenwein, as Director, uses to make decisions throughout the year. The Board also has input on the selection of research, outreach and workforce development projects selected for funding. Ms. Gerst presented an overview of the ODOT Strategic Research Plan. Ms. Esenwein went over the highlights of 2011 which included the submission of a proposal for new funding through the University Transportation Centers program, submitted in collaboration with the University of Pittsburg and University of Akron. Additional highlights included YSU’s Transportation Career Day, an ODOT visit, and funding received from ODOT District 4. Esenwein also informed the Board that the call for white papers for new research activities within the current funding cycle went out January 3, 2020 and are due January 18, 2020.