Engineering Alumni Association Announces Recipients of the 2006 Distinguished Engineering Awards
(March 31, 2006) Michael Ervin (1966 BSChE, 1969 MSChE, 1970 PhD ChE) and Michael Piwetz (1973 BSChE) will receive the Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award at the 2006 Distinguished Engineering Alumni Awards Dinner on Friday, June 2 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Downtown Houston. Bryan Kennedy (1996 BSCE) will receive the Distinguished Young Engineering Alumnus Award and Larry Witte, associate dean for graduate programs at the Cullen College of Engineering, will receive the Roger Eichhorn Leadership Service Award. Ernest Henley, professor emeritus of chemical engineering, will receive the Abraham E. Dukler Distinguished Engineering Faculty Award.

Electrical Engineering Undergrad Wins National Goldwater Scholarship
(March 28, 2006) Electrical engineering junior Phuc Huynh was recently named a recipient of the Goldwater Scholarship, one of the most prestigious awards available to undergraduate students. The scholarship provides funding to sophomore and junior students majoring in mathematics, the natural sciences or engineering who plan to pursue a career in research. Huynh, one of 323 students selected nationwide to receive a Goldwater Scholarship, plans to pursue his Ph.D. in electrical engineering and hopes to eventually receive a position at a university to teach and conduct research.

Alumnus Appointed to the Texas Board of Professional Engineers
(March 14, 2006) Cullen College of Engineering alumnus Daniel Wong, Ph.D., P.E., was recently appointed by Governor Rick Perry to serve on the Texas Board of Professional Engineers. The Board is responsible for licensing qualified engineers, enforcing the Texas Engineering Practice Act and regulating the practice of professional engineering in Texas. Wong holds a B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. in civil engineering from the University of Houston. He currently serves as an at-large city councilman for the city of Sugar Land, as well as president and CEO of Tolunay-Wong Engineers, Inc.

IEEE Hosts 27th Annual Chili Cookoff, Provides Activities for Faculty and Students
(March 14, 2006) The University of Houston Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) student chapter held its 27th Annual Chili Cookoff last Thursday. Over 250 Cullen College of Engineering faculty, staff, students, alumni and local company sponsors turned out to participate in the event, which included several competitions, an auction, food and music. Each year the organization hosts the event to raise money for the IEEE Regional 5 Conference, as well as create a social atmosphere for engineering faculty and students to interact. Electrical and Computer Engineering Assistant Professor Richard Burton (right) falls into a dunk tank during the event.

Symons Honored with Lifetime Achievement Award
(March 3, 2006) James Symons, Distinguished Cullen Professor Emeritus of Civil Engineering, has received the Abel Wolman Award of Excellence, one of the most prestigious honors granted by the American Water Works Association. The lifetime achievement award recognizes individuals in the water works industry who have demonstrated professional excellence throughout their careers. Symons spent the bulk of his career researching the challenges presented by water purification techniques, has served as department chair of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and has received numerous awards, including the Esther Farfel Award, one of the University of Houston's highest faculty honors, in recognition of his service to the school, teaching and research.

UH Grad Student Pushing the Boundaries of Nanotech Fabrication
(March 1, 2006) Electrical engineering graduate student Barry Craver took second place at a recent superconductivity symposium for his atom beam lithography research. Under the direction of Professor Jack Wolfe and Associate Professor Dmitri Litvinov, Craver will be utilizing his nanotech fabrication technique to possibly build devices as small as four to five nanometers wide, pushing the theoretical limit.

College Hosts Prospective Students During Pre-Engineering Day
(March 1, 2006) For the second year, Cullen College of Engineering's Pre-Engineering Day successfully attracted area high school students to participate in educational activities as part of National Engineers Week. Organized by the Office of Undergraduate Recruitment and Retention at the college, students had the opportunity to attend several engineering educational sessions, as well as participate in interactive engineering demonstrations. Collegiate High School senior Harold Hale, Jr. sparks electricity by holding a metal rod close to an output terminal made of Tesla coil during a superconductivity experiment.