Two National Records for Gamera
 The National Aeronautic Association has certified that on May 12, 2011, the human-powered helicopter Gamera, designed and built by graduate and undergraduate students of the University of Maryland's A. James Clark School of Engineering and piloted by biology student Judy Wexler, achieved lift-off and hovered for 4.2 seconds, thereby establishing the U.S. national records for the duration of a human-powered helicopter flight and the duration of a human-powered helicopter flight by a female pilot. Gamera's flight is under consideration for world records in the same categories. Additional flights are planned for this summer and fall in a bid for the Sikorsky Prize.
ECE Chair O'Shea Named UM VP for Research
 UM's new vice president for research, Patrick O’Shea – currently chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) and co-director of the Maryland Cybersecurity Center – is proposing an aggressive plan to build the institution’s research profile regionally, nationally and globally, including an emphasis on multidisciplinary, large-scale collaborations with industry and government, and closer relationships with the University of Maryland Medical School and other University System institutions. Prof. Rama Chellappa will serve as interim chair of ECE until a permanent replacement is named.
Golden Terps Take Part in Commencement Festivities
 At the May 2011 commencement, the Clark School launched a new tradition: honoring its Golden Terp Engineers. Golden Terp Engineers are Clark School alumni who are celebrating their 50th reunions—in this case the class of 1961—plus alums celebrating their 55th, 60th, 65th (and so on) reunions. This year, the Golden Terps included 100-year-old Philip Cooper, a civil engineering alum from the class of 1931. The school presented these alums with a Clark School Golden Terps medallion to wear at the ceremony, along with their gold robes. The Golden Terps led the procession into the Comcast Center for the Class of 2011 and were introduced by name to the Clark School family.
Great Expectations Spotlight: Sikorsky Gifts Create New Scholarships
Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, a Clark School Corporate Partner Company, has pledged $50,000 to create the Sikorsky Endowed Scholarship in support of undergraduate engineering education. In addition, Sikorsky has donated $25,000 to support scholarships during the 2011-2012 academic year. To learn more about the Great Expectations campaign and how you can make a difference through scholarships, fellowships, and support for competitions and student activities, please contact Leslie Borak.
Clark School Alumni Spotlight: Alumnus Wheatley Earns IEEE Pioneer Award
 Alumnus C. Frank Wheatley (B.S. '51, electrical engineering) has been elected an Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Pioneer, one of the highest honors that can be bestowed upon IEEE members, to recognize his significant and transformative impact on the field of power electronics. He was presented with the award at the 23rd International Symposium on Power Semiconductor Devices & ICs on May 24, 2011, in San Diego. Wheatley was the first to receive the Pioneer Award in the Power Division of the IEEE in its 23 years of existence.
2012 Distinguished Engineering Alumnus/Alumna Award
Each year, the Clark School of Engineering is proud to present the Distinguished Engineering Alumnus or Alumna Award at the Alumni Association Awards Gala. You are invited to nominate an engineering alumnus/alumna who exemplifies the bold visions, bright future and new directions that make them a proud reflection of the leadership that is nurtured and grown at Maryland. See the list of past recipients, learn about our most recent honoree, and learn how to nominate exceptional Clark School graduates for this prestigious award: https://eng.umd.edu/alumni/distinguished-award. Nomination deadline is September 1, 2011. For more information, contact Josey Simpson ’84, director of alumni relations, at 301.405.2150 or email josey@umd.edu.
Save the Date! 8th Annual Clark School of Engineering Alumni Chapter Golf Tournament, September 14 at the University of Maryland Golf Course
Come out for an afternoon of fun and networking with your friends and fellow alumni at the 8th Annual Clark School of Engineering Alumni Chapter Golf Tournament. All are invited — Alumni, corporate partners, contractors and/or non-alumni that want to stay connected. Shotgun start is at 1:30 p.m. followed by an awards banquet and silent auction. The food is delicious and our silent auction items are always popular. If you would like to assist the Alumni Chapter Board in planning this tournament, please contact Gregg Wollard or Dan Fallon at clarkalumnigolf@gmail.com. Watch this space for more details!
Your Name Here—Sponsorship Opportunities
Thanks to Corporate Partner Booz Allen Hamilton for sponsoring this month's edition of the Clark School's e-newsletter. There are many chances throughout the year to put your name and support behind the activities of the Clark School. Sponsorship opportunities include not only this e-newsletter but also alumni receptions and student projects! Contact us to learn how you can make a difference!
Find
Work with Our Corporate Partners
Are
you looking for a job? The Clark School's Corporate
Partners are always looking to fill positions with
experienced engineers! Below are direct links to their
recruiting web sites:
Alumni
Notes
Each month, we randomly select a name from Alumni Notes to win a Clark School t-shirt. This month's winner is Mark Chambers! Don't miss your chance to win the next t-shirt—send us your news today by emailing Josey Simpson.
Ross Beschner (B.S. ’84, agriculture engineering, M.Eng. ’02) is a systems inspection group leader for Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission in Laurel, Md.
Mark Chambers (B.S. ’06, mechanical engineering) is a UH-60 helicopter pilot in the Maryland Army National Guard at Aberdeen.
Philip J. DiNenno (B.S. '77, fire protection engineering) has received the 2011 Paul C. Lamb Award from the National Fire Protection Association. The award recognizes volunteer service and is the highest honor bestowed by the NFPA.
Michael Duffy (M.S. '87, civil engineering) is director of federal programs at McCarthy Building in Dallas, Texas.
Ajay Gupta (B.S. '95, M.S. '98, electrical engineering) runs Gsecurity, a cybersecurity consulting firm, and is the host of "Technology Today," a technology-focused Internet radio show that airs on Thursdays at 4 p.m. Eastern on the VoiceAmerica Business network.
Sameer Hemmady (M.S. '04, telecommunications engineering, and Ph.D. '06, electrical engineering) was awarded the IEEE Outstanding Young Engineer Award for 2011 by IEEE's Albuquerque, N.M., chapter.
Susan Hann (B.S. '80, civil engineering) is the new city manager for Palm Bay, Florida.
Christopher T. Jones (Ph.D. '97, aerospace engineering) has been promoted to vice president and general manager of integrated logistics and modernization at Northrop Grumman in Herndon, Va.
Joseph Schindler (B.S. ’09, mechanical engineering) is a nuclear test engineer for General Dynamics Electric Boat in Groton, Conn.
The Clark School Mourns the Passing of...
Over the past month, we were saddened to learn of the passing of Clarence Warren Giauque (B.S. '50, civil engineering) and alumnus and current graduate student Alexander Brown (B.S. '08 and M.S. '10, aerospace engineering).
Tell
Us Your News
Clark School Alumni, we produce this e-newsletter so we can tell you about the school, but also so you can tell your fellow alumni about yourselves. Send us news about your recent career moves and personal events and we will include them in upcoming issues. Please send your news to josey@umd.edu.
Feel Free to Forward!
We encourage you to forward this message to friends and colleagues! If you do not normally receive this e-newsletter and would like to sign up for it, please send email to josey@umd.edu.
This
e-mail was approved for distribution by Josefina P. Simpson '84,
director of alumni relations.
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