Conference Session

Design Project Based Learning

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Charles Forsberg, Hofstra University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

Capstone Design ProjectI. IntroductionThe Hofstra University mechanical engineering program requires students to take twocapstone design courses – one in the mechanics area; the other in the thermal/fluids area.This paper discusses a Spring 2007 design project in the latter area; in particular, aproject dealing with design of a ventilation system for a room.Over the past four years, our department has experienced an increase in enrollment in themechanical engineering program. We are not completely sure as to the reason for this.Perhaps the increase is due to the students’ perception of an improved job market in theME discipline. It may also be due to the mechanical faculty’s emphasis on teaching andinteraction with students rather than research

Conference Session

Design Project Based Learning

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Robert Choate, Western Kentucky University; Kevin Schmaltz, Western Kentucky University; Joel Lenoir, Western Kentucky University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

AC 2008-1617: CENTRIFUGAL PUMP TEST BED: A SENIOR CAPSTONEPROJECTRobert Choate, Western Kentucky University Robert Choate teaches thermo-fluid and professional component courses in Mechanical Engineering, including the Sophomore Design, Junior Design, the Senior ME Lab I and the ME Senior Project Design course sequence. Prior to teaching at WKU, he was a principal engineer for CMAC Design Corporation, designing telecommunication, data communication and information technology equipment.Kevin Schmaltz, Western Kentucky University Kevin Schmaltz teaches thermo-fluid and professional component courses in Mechanical Engineering, including the Freshman Experience course, Sophomore Design, Junior

Conference Session

Outstanding Contributions to ME Education

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Richard Bannerot, University of Houston

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

AC 2008-809: HANDS-ON PROJECTS IN AN EARLY DESIGN COURSERichard Bannerot, University of Houston Richard Bannerot is a professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Houston. His research interests are in the thermal sciences and engineering education, especially heat transfer, alternative energy, thermal system design, and design education. He is a registered professional engineer in the State of Texas. Page 13.663.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2008 Hands-on Projects in an Early Design CourseAbstractThis paper presents an overview of both team and individual

Conference Session

Design Project Based Learning

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John Matsson, Oral Roberts University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

AC 2008-945: A STUDENT PROJECT ON RAYLEIGH-BENARD CONVECTIONJohn Matsson, Oral Roberts University O. JOHN E. MATSSON is an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Chair of the Engineering, Physics and Physical Science Department at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He earned M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden in 1988 and 1994, respectively. Page 13.113.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2008 A Student Project on Rayleigh-Bénard ConvectionAbstractThis paper describes a project where a group of five undergraduate

Conference Session

Mechanical Engineering Poster Session

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kevin Schmaltz, Western Kentucky University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

AC 2008-176: STUDENT IMPLEMENTATION OF A UNIQUE GREENHOUSEHEATING PROJECTKevin Schmaltz, Western Kentucky University Kevin Schmaltz has been teaching thermo-fluid, energy conversion and professional component courses in Mechanical Engineering at Western Kentucky University since 2002. These include the Freshman Experience, Sophomore Design, Junior Design and the Senior Project Design course sequence. Prior to teaching at WKU, he was the ME Department Chair at Lake Superior State University for five years and the University Distinguished Teacher in 2001. Before entering the academic world, he was a project engineer for Shell Oil for eight years, designing and building offshore oil and

Conference Session

Design Project Based Learning

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Vernon Ulrich, Grove City College

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

designprojects for all students. Assessing a team’s project results is usually a relatively easy task.However, fairly assessing the performance of individual students within the team is much moredifficult. The complexity of the assessment task is compounded by the wide range of subjects,difficulty, and engineering tasks involved in differing projects. Assessing engineeringperformance across a variety of projects is also a common problem for most industrialemployers. Many companies that employ engineers use a management-by-objective (MBO)assessment system for their professional employees. Grove City College capstone designstudents are now being assessed with a MBO system similar to industrial employers. Adescription of the Grove City College rating

Conference Session

Approaches to Active Learning

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Emilia Bratschitsch, Joanneum Univeristy of Applied Sciences; Annette Casey, Joanneum University of Applied Sciences, Department of Automotive Engineering,; Michael Trzesniowski

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

AC 2008-1558: RESEARCH PROJECTS AS A PART OF A 3-PHASE MULTISUBJECT PROJECT BASED LEARNING IN VEHICLE ENGINEERING STUDIESEmilia Bratschitsch, Joanneum Univeristy of Applied SciencesAnnette Casey, Joanneum University of Applied Sciences, Department of Automotive Engineering,Graz, AustriaMichael Trzesniowski, Joanneum University of Applied Sciences, Department of AutomotiveEngineering, Graz, Austria Page 13.1040.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2008 Research Projects as a Part of a 3-Phase Multi Subject Project Based Learning in Vehicle Engineering StudiesAbstractAt

Conference Session

Mechanical Engineering Poster Session

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Yaomin Dong, Kettering University; Arnaldo Mazzei, Kettering University; Paul Zang, Kettering University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

AC 2008-1187: DEVELOPMENT OF A CAE COURSE PROJECT FOCUSING ONPROJECT DATA MANAGEMENT AND VIRTUAL PROTOTYPING THROUGHFEA OF WINDSHIELD WIPER SYSTEM DESIGNYaomin Dong, Kettering University Dr. Yaomin Dong is Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Kettering University. He received his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Kentucky in 1998. Dr. Dong has extensive R&D experience in automotive industry and holds multiple patents. He is specialized in metalforming processes, design with composite materials, and finite element analysis.Arnaldo Mazzei, Kettering University Dr. Arnaldo Mazzei is an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Kettering University. He

Conference Session

Innovations in ME Laboratory Instruction

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Gregory Davis, Kettering University; Craig Hoff, Kettering University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

Projects: A Case StudyGood professional communication skills and the ability to work in teams are critical skillsdemanded by engineering companies. Further, in order to maintain competitiveness and to workin the global marketplace, engineering companies are increasingly supporting the creation anduse of professional standards that are developed by engineering societies. Unfortunately, manyundergraduates have historically received little or no education regarding this aspect ofengineering.This paper describes the efforts to provide students with laboratory-based projects which providestudents with significant exposure to professional engineering standards and practices. Theseprojects require the students to read

Conference Session

Trends in Mechanical Engineering

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Erik De Graaff, Delft University of Technology; Wim Thijs, TU Delft; Peter Wieringa, TU Delft

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

several educational innovation projects in Mechanical Engineering, one of which being the BSc assignment.Peter Wieringa, TU Delft Peter Wieringa, Ph.D. is professor in Mechanical Engineering, department of Man Machine Systems. Presently he is the dean of education of the Faculty mechanical Engineering and Marine Engineering. He was involved in the design of this course right from the beginning and he is responsible for the overall process. Page 13.1041.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2008 Research Skills in a Mechanical Engineering CurriculumIntroductionAll teaching and learning

Conference Session

Improving Mechanics & Structural Modeling Courses

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Raghu Echempati, Kettering University; Enayat Mahajerin, Saginaw Valley State University; Anca Sala, Baker College

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

purpose of single-variate and multi-variate regression analysis. 3. Flow of water in a tank (Filling, Draining, and simultaneous filling and draining of water from a cylindrical tank) to verify the thermodynamics and fluids concepts related to the “open systems”. Curve fitting and numerical integration results are used. 4. Ice melting: correlation of experimental results with theory and numerical approximation. Page 13.467.3A number rating of 0-69 (poor), 70-79 (satisfactory), 80-91 (good), 92-100 (excellent) has beenused in the assessment of the student performance. Also, the group project is evaluated asfollows

Conference Session

Improving Mechanics & Structural Modeling Courses

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Junling Hu, University of Bridgeport; Linfeng Zhang, University of Bridgeport; Xingguo Xiong, University of Bridgeport

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

background inmathematics, fluid dynamics, heat transfer, and programming, however, most of them were goodat computer aided design in ProE and were very interested in learning CFD as a design tool inindustries. STAR-CCM+ was chosen as the CFD software to teach students the entire CFDprocess in a single integrated software environment. After building a geometry model in ProE,students learned to import the CAD model, set up mesh model, physical model and solver, andpostprocess the results in STAR-CCM+. Based on projects, CFD numerical methods andfundamentals of heat transfer and fluid flow were introduced to help students understand theCFD process, interpret, and validate simulation results.IntroductionComputational fluid dynamics was introduced in the

Conference Session

Mechanical Engineering Poster Session

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Anca Sala, Baker College

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

library ofpreviously recorded human motions provided with the software. The second part of the coursewas dedicated to biomaterials and their applications in medicine.Recording and analyzing a human movement were part of a project completed by students as acourse requirement. Students were also asked to research a biomaterial of their choice anddescribe its properties and medical applications in a scholarly paper. Finally students preparedpresentations summarizing the analysis project and the biomaterial paper that were given to theentire class during the final class session.From the first time the course was taught, it was well received by the students, who participatedenthusiastically in the applied portions of the course. Creating our own

Conference Session

Approaches to Active Learning

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mark Yim, University of Pennsylvania; Katherine Kuchenbecker, University of Pennsylvania; Paulo Arratia, University of Pennsylvania; Vijay Kumar, University of Pennsylvania; John Bassani, University of Pennsylvania; Jonathan Fiene, University of Pennsylvania; Jennifer Lukes, University of Pennsylvania

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

belief may stem from theinternal confirmation of understanding that hands-on work provides. Students seem to gainconfidence when they are able to apply class material successfully to real-world systems, rathersolving text book problems on paper. It is not yet clear where the critical learning takes place,whether in the lab or in the associated lecture, but it is obvious from our experience thatlaboratory work catalyzes student understanding and excitement about mechanical engineering.Based on student feedback and our belief in the value of project-based and experiential learning,we have developed a practice-integrated mechanical engineering curriculum that spans the fullfour-year undergraduate experience. Our goal is to ingrain theoretical

Conference Session

Mechanical Engineering Poster Session

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

X. Chang Li, Lamar University; Kendrick Aung, Lamar University; Jiang Zhou, Lamar University; Xuejun Fan, Lamar University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

teaching approach whereupon a “catch all” general control volume was introduced as theprimary tool as the course started. The change of any property within the control volume wasshown as a result of three possible processes: direct transfer across a boundary, direct transfer inconjunction with “carrier” flows, and generation within the control volume itself. Thegeneralized Reynolds Transport Equation was then formulized from this scenario. The paperalso considered the property of entropy, which is conceptually more challenging. The approachwas found beneficial for students learning. Bailey17 discussed how to prolong and strengthenstudents' interest in thermodynamics by designing course projects. Two course projects werereported. The projects had

Conference Session

Mechanical Engineering Poster Session

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michael Frassica, University of South Carolina; Jed Lyons, University of South Carolina; Philip Voglewede, Marquette University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

and waste removal to grow tissue for an actual researchexperiment. The introduction of an interdisciplinary laboratory exposed the students to the “bigpicture” of controls systems in a nontraditional setting. The project reinforced what was taughtin lecture regarding PID type controllers and aided in understanding controls as they relate toactual systems. Students indicated that the laboratory improved their understanding of theconcepts covered in class and homework. The primary reported benefit was an increased claritybetween the relationships of the gains of a PID controller and their corresponding physicalresults.IntroductionA control theory course tends to be a less tangible subject in engineering and thus was chosen asan ideal course to

Conference Session

Thermodynamics, Fluids and Heat Transfer - II

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jason Christopher, Rice University; Adam Parks, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base; Vipul Sharma, Air Force Institute of Technology; Michael Maixner, U.S. Air Force Academy

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

degree in Mechanical Engineering. He is currently stationed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH where he works as a developmental engineer. He is in charge of several research projects with an emphasis on aircraft structural integrity.Vipul Sharma, Air Force Institute of Technology Vipul Sharma graduated from the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) in 2007 where he majored in Mechanical Engineering and minored in Mandarin. Vipul is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Aeronautical Engineering at the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) where his research focus is Ceramic Matrix Composites (CMC) and their applicability for use in turbine engines. After completing his tour at AFIT

Conference Session

Accreditation Issues

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Paul Biney, Prairie View A&M University; Raghava Kommalapati, Prairie View A&M University; Michael Gyamerah, Prairie View A&M University; Annamalai Annamalai, Prairie View A&M University; Pamela Obiomon, Prairie View A&M University; Xiaobo Peng, Prairie View A&M University; Mohan Ketkar, Prairie View A&M University; Nripendra Sarker, Prairie View A&M University; Ravindra Iyengar, Prairie View A&M University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

criteria were developed for this outcome.For each performance criteria, detailed guide for assessing the performance criteria were alsoprovided. The five performance criteria developed for this outcome, are based on1. Ability to define the problem This performance criterion is assessed by determining if students are able to (i) identify the customer and the needs, (ii) identify and list the design objectives, and (iii) identify the design constraints.2. Ability to plan the project This performance criterion is also assessed by determining if students are able to (i) define the design strategy and methodology, (ii) identify and break down work into tasks and subtasks, and identify the personnel and deliverables for each, (iii) develop a

Conference Session

Trends in Mechanical Engineering

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David Willis, Southern Methodist University; Paul Krueger, Southern Methodist University; Alice Kendrick, Southern Methodist University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

of participating laboratories and projects, required applicationforms, and optional survey forms. An email promotional message was then developed whichprovided basic information about the REU program and referred interested parties to the websitefor detailed information. The email message was distributed to all undergraduate engineeringstudents at the host institution, to department chairs at other colleges and universities who hadpreviously agreed to help promote the program, and the Women in Engineering ProgramAdvocates Network (WEPAN) list-serve. The WEPAN list-serve allowed for nationwidedissemination of the REU program announcement. Nine participants were selected from the applicants based on their qualifications, interestin

Conference Session

Mechanical Engineering Poster Session

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

James Smith, University of Southern Maine

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

manufacturing cell. • One department of engineering housing both programs with flexible faculty, some teaching both mechanical and electrical engineering courses, as appropriate. • The existing faculty teach the foundational courses. In the implementation stage a number of the upper-level and elective courses are taught by adjuncts. This allows the program to develop and to be “tweaked” before commitments are made to full-time, tenure-track faculty. • The new program focuses on just two areas, materials and electromechanical systems. These two areas aligned well both with the existing skill sets in the department and with the needs of local industry. • The senior design project, the capstone project

Conference Session

Outstanding Contributions to ME Education

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ashland Brown, University of the Pacific; Joseph Rencis; Daniel Jensen, U.S. Air Force Academy; Chuan-Chiang Chen, Tuskegee University; Essam Ibrahim, Tuskegee University; Vladimir Labay, Gonzaga University; Paul Schimpf, Eastern Washington University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

includes acoustics, vibrations, dynamic Page 13.610.1 system modeling, fluid power noise, and acoustic sensor development. His research and educational projects have received support from NSF, DOE, Ford and TVA. He has published ten referred journal articles, conference papers, and technical reports. Dr. Chen was the recipient of Tuskegee University Outstanding Teaching Award in 2006, and Tuskegee University Outstanding Service Award in 2007. He is also a member of ASME, ASEE, and SAE. Currently he serves as© American Society for Engineering Education, 2008 Service Award in 2007. He is also a member

Conference Session

Mechanics of Materials

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Vince Prantil, Milwaukee School of Engineering; William Howard, East Carolina University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

] compiled a subjective assessment of common mistakesin finite element analysis routinely performed in many industrial sectors. After 5 years ofcollecting anecdotal evidence in both teaching undergraduates and advising capstonedesign projects, we found this list to be nearly inclusive of the most common and moreserious errors encountered by novice users of the finite element method. Here, we addseveral additional mistakes commonly observed in the classroom and in capstone designnumerical analyses and present the augmented list in Table 1. While it may come as nosurprise that novice users commit many, if not all, of these errors, they appear toroutinely and repeatedly encounter a particular subset of them. TABLE 1. COMMON MISTAKES IN

Conference Session

Trends in Mechanical Engineering

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Aleksandra Vinogradov, Montana State University; Carolyn Plumb, Montana State University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

AC 2008-646: ENHANCING STUDENT UNDERSTANDING OF AND INTEREST INMECHANICAL ENGINEERINGAleksandra Vinogradov, Montana State University Dr. Aleksandra Vinogradov has extensive academic and industrial experience in mechanical engineering. Her academic career has been dedicated to teaching and research. She has taught a variety of courses in materials engineering, engineering mechanics, mechanical vibrations, engineering analysis, and finite element analysis. She has supervised award winning student projects in mechanical design. Dr. Vinogradov’s research interests are in the area of materials. Her recent research focuses on the performance and properties of piezoelectric polymers, durability of

Conference Session

Thermodynamics, Fluids and Heat Transfer - II

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Andrew Gerhart, Lawrence Technological University; Philip Gerhart, University of Evansville; Robert Fletcher, Lawrence Technological University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

program that addresses both alternative and renewable energy systems, as well as energy conservation and optimization of traditional energy systems. Dr. Fletcher and his student research team conducts fuel cell research for the U.S. Army and supports DTE Energy in the operation and optimization of their Hydrogen Power Park in Southfield, MI, a photovoltaic, biomass, water electrolysis, hydrogen storage, hydrogen vehicle fueling station and fuel cell power demonstration project, funded by the Department of Energy. Page 13.313.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2008

Conference Session

Thermodynamics, Fluids and Heat Transfer - II

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jesse Huguet, University of Alabama; Keith Woodbury, University of Alabama; Robert Taylor, University of Alabama

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

Page 13.431.10temperature ranges were written and tested. The values for the properties, specifically h, s, andv, were compared to the table values and were found to be within the relative error required bythe project. Therefore, the use of the polynomials at the lower temperatures was justified. Thereason for not using the Sonntag et al.4 equations alone will be explained when specific enthalpyis considered.In addition to specific heat, specific enthalpy, specific entropy, and specific internal energy arerequired to successfully duplicate the tables. From Cengel and Boles3 we know that specificenthalpy is the integral of specific heat or in the case of the temperature dependent: 決 潔

Conference Session

Trends in Mechanical Engineering

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Patricia Campbell, Campbell-Kibler Associates, Inc; Eann Patterson, Michigan State University; Ilene Busch-Vishniac, McMaster University; Tom Kibler, Campbell-Kibler Associates, Inc

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

, England where he was also Director of Teaching and Learning for Engineering and later Head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Currently, he is Professor and Chair of Mechanical Engineering at Michigan State University.Ilene Busch-Vishniac, McMaster University Ilene Busch-Vishniac is the Provost and Vice President (Academic) of McMaster University, the institution credited with the creation of problem-based learning. She has led a project to revamp the curriculum in mechanical engineering programs in order to attract and retain a more diverse community of students while maintaining or enhancing technical rigor. In addition, Dr. Busch-Vishniac is known for her work in acoustics

Conference Session

Mechanical Engineering Poster Session

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Megan Arnold, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Aman Yadav, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Gregory Shaver, Purdue University; Eric Nauman, Purdue University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

Program at Purdue University. In addition to his PhD in Educational Psychology and Educational Technology, Dr. Yadav also has Bachelors in Electrical Engineering and Masters of Science in Electrical Engineering. Dr. Yadav has undertaken both quantitative and qualitative research projects and has a strong familiarity with both types of analyses. His research includes the use of case-based instruction in STEM disciplines.Gregory Shaver, Purdue University Greg Shaver is an assistant professor of Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University. He is also a graduate of Purdue University's School of Mechanical Engineering, having obtained a Bachelor's degree with highest distinction. He holds a Masters

Conference Session

Accreditation Issues

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kenneth Van Treuren, Baylor University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

world news. More specifically, if contemporary issues pertain to thediscipline of engineering, students will do little to maintain their knowledge apart from what isdiscussed in the classroom context. In reality, this topic must be more intentionally interjectedinto the curriculum to show application of engineering principles.Two categories of courses come to mind that should adequately support “soft” outcomes. Onesuch course would be a senior capstone design course. Berg and Nasr discuss such a course.1 Itis true that the capstone design course should be the pinnacle of an engineering program, wherestudents are able to integrate all aspects of their education into a challenging project. It is anatural place to discuss topics in the

Conference Session

Mechanical Engineering Poster Session

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Erik Wilhelm, Paul Scherrer Institut; Irene Berry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Mathew Stevens, University of Waterloo; Warren Schenler, Paul Scherrer Institut

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He came to Switzerland to work at the ETH Zurich on energy research projects studying electric power system issues in Switzerland, Romania and China, and has continued this work at the Paul Scherrer Institut in the GaBE group. His research interests also include transportation, geothermal and hydrogen energy systems. Page 13.279.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2008 CARtogr aphy: Cr eating a Global Map-Based Fuel Use CalculatorAbstr actThe goal of this work was to create a web tool that offers accurate predictions of fuelconsumption based on driving directions. The

Conference Session

Statics and Dynamics: What's New?

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mina Hoorfar, University of British Columbia Okanagan; Homayoun Najjaran, University of British Columbia Okanagan; William Cleghorn, University of Toronto

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

Case Western Reserve University as an NSERC Postdoctoral Fellow. Her research involved in the enhancement of water management in the proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells. Dr. Hoorfar is currently an Assistant Professor in the School of Engineering at the University of British Columbia Okanagan.Homayoun Najjaran, University of British Columbia Okanagan Homayoun Najjaran received his M.A.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Tehran in 1996 and University of Toronto in 2002, respectively. He worked on different research projects in the area of mechatronics at the National Research Council (NRC) Canada from 2003 to 2006. Currently, he is an Assistant Professor in