The Herff College - University of Memphis

hErFF hEADLINES
NSF AWArDS $2 MILLION TO
INCrEASE STEM GrADuATES
The National Science Foundation (NSF)
has awarded the university of Memphis
a $2,000,000, five-year grant as part of
its Science, Technology, Engineering, and
Mathematics Talent Expansion Program
(STEP). The overall goal of the STEP is to
increase the number of u.S. citizens and
permanent residents with undergraduate
degrees in science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
The MemphiSTEP project focuses on
recruitment, retention, and persistence
to graduation to increase the number of
majors and graduates across the STEM
programs at the university of Memphis.
The project concentrates on all stages
of a STEM student’s undergraduate
experience, beginning with recruitment
to the institution, combines the strengths
of the university’s support infrastructure
with efforts and expertise of faculty,
staff, students, administrators, and the
professional community, and builds on
research, best practices, and the local
knowledge base. Major strengths of the
project are its comprehensive nature,
with numerous coordinated components,
and its encompassing approach to focus
on all STEM students.
Stephanie Ivey, assistant professor of civil
engineering, and David russomanno,
r. Eugene Smith professor and chair of
electrical and computer engineering, are
serving as Co-Principal Investigators for
the project, along with John haddock,
professor of mathematical sciences.
Don Franceschetti, Dunavant university
Professor of physics and chemistry,
serves as the Principal Investigator.
u OF M ANNOuNCES CENTEr
FOr BIOFuEL ENErGY AND
SuSTAINABLE TEChNOLOGY
(BEST)
The u of M recently announced the
formation of the Center for Biofuel Energy
and Sustainable Technology (BEST). The
center is funded by a $100,000 grant
from the Tennessee Department of
Environment and Conservation (TDEC),
and John hochstein, professor and chair of
mechanical engineering, will be the director.
The Greening of Campus Includes Turning Grease from u of M Kitchens Into Biofuel.
under the direction of designer Srikant
Gir, assistant professor of mechanical
engineering, undergraduate and graduate
students, including Danny Fisher,
constructed a prototype of a mobile
Biodiesel Processing unit (BPu). The BPu
will convert all of the excess cooking oil
produced by on-campus kitchens, such as
the Tiger Den and Blue Zone cafeterias,
into viable biodiesel fuel. To produce one
gallon of biodiesel fuel, 7.5 pounds of
cooking oil is needed. The converted fuel
will then be used in the u of M’s oncampus
pick-up trucks that use pure diesel
fuel; however, the vehicles will not have
a total conversion. The state-of-the-art
BPu, to be constructed by a contractor, is
expected to be completed this year.
The TDEC grant also provides for a public
awareness outreach program, such as
displaying the BPu at environmental
events like Earth Day, and the creation of
a quality assurance laboratory, which will
test biofuel for efficiency. hochstein points
out that while anyone can make their own
fuel, testing is a different issue. The u of
M will have the only lab in Tennessee that
can test fuels for usability. The primary goal
of the center is to implement better use
of energy both on the u of M campus, as
well as in the community.
“It starts with one can. To feed the hungry.
To lift the spirit. To change the world.”
Canstruction ©
CANSTruCTION ® 2008
On March 28, the College hosted its second
annual Canstruction® competition through
the local chapter of the ASCE Younger
Member Group. Eleven teams from 10
Shelby County high schools competed and
collected 11,041 pounds of canned goods
and $1,000 for a total of 20,030 meals
donated to the Memphis Food Bank.
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