School Recognizes 2005 Graduates

The University of Kansas School of Engineering honored its graduates at a recognition ceremony Sunday, May 22.

More than 325 students at the graduate and undergraduate level earned the right to take part in the ceremony, which began at 8 a.m. Sunday in the Lied Center for the Performing Arts.

During the ceremony, several undergraduate students were honored as the outstanding graduating senior in their particular engineering discipline. One of these students, Theresa LaFollette, a senior in chemical engineering from Olathe, Kan., is the recipient of the Sammie and Carl Locke Award for Outstanding Graduating Senior in the School of Engineering.

The outstanding graduating seniors for 2005 are:

Abdulaziz Alrugaib,

Petroleum Engineering

Michael Brunin,

Architectural Engineering

Nicolas Frisby,

Computer Engineering

Chris Hullman,

Aerospace Engineering

John Igo,

Mechanical Engineering

Lena Ireland,

Civil Engineering

Theresa LaFollette,

Chemical Engineering

Adam Lohoefener,

Engineering Physics

Justin Ward,

Computer Science

Tiaotiao Xie,

Electrical Engineering

Five faculty members also received awards during the event.

Lisa A. Friis,

assistant professor of Mechanical Engineering, was selected to receive the Miller Professional Development Award for Service.

Dr. Friis has been an instrumental participant in the Kansas Biosciences Authority. She also has provided leadership and direction in some of KTEC's biosciences activities. Nationally, she has been an active member of the Society for Biomaterials. She is the driving force behind the School of Engineering's Entrepreneurship Thematic Learning Community (E'ship TLC), which strives to give KU students of all disciplines exposure to idea development, product design, technology transfer and business strategy.

The award provides $4,000 for the recipient.

Richard Hale,

associate professor of Aerospace Engineering, was selected to receive the Gould Award for Teaching.

Creative techniques and a focus on teaching for results set Dr. Hale apart from others. He begins his courses with an assessment of his students' learning styles. He then uses this information to tailor his teaching to ensure students learn the information he brings to class. Professor Hale weaves realistic workplace examples into the course work and has students participate as if they are in a corporate setting competing for a contract. Hale works with two student organizations and coordinates and leads the Aerospace Engineering Thematic Learning Community.

The award provides $4,000 for the recipient.

Thomas Mulinazzi,

professor and chair of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, was selected to receive the Gould Award for Outstanding Advising.

Dr. Mulinazzi uses his experience and dedication to gently guide students to achieve their best. He is known for placing students first, making time for them when it's a luxury he doesn't have. Mulinazzi constantly motivates his students to look beyond the classroom and become involved in extracurricular activities. He readily shares advice on raising or maintaining a student's grade point average and guides students to take courses that are relevant to their degree and their expressed career path.

The award provides $4,000 for the recipient.

Peter W. TenPas,

associate professor of Mechanical Engineering, was selected to receive the John E. Sharp and Winifred E. Sharp Teaching Professorship.

Dr. TenPas joined the Mechanical Engineering faculty in 1987. Since that day, he has continuously endeavored to develop innovative classes that incorporate teamwork skills, computational tools, online elements, writing and design. In addition to regularly leading review sessions for the Fundamentals of Engineering exam for students, Dr. TenPas has worked to keep his colleagues abreast of their craft by serving as the department's liaison to the Center for Teaching Excellence. He also has served on curriculum liaison committees.
TenPas previously has received the department's Cramer Outstanding Faculty Member Award and Remarkable Professor Award, which is selected by the students, and been nominated for both the Gould Teaching Award and the Sharp Professorship.

The award lasts three years and includes an annual personal award of $5,000 plus access to $5,000 annually for instructional development.

Sara E. Wilson,

assistant professor of Mechanical Engineering, was selected to receive the Miller Professional Development Award for Research.

Each of Dr. Wilson's areas of research -- low-back pain, scoliosis and ankle instability -- can be directly applied to helping people as they go through their daily activities. She has obtained grants from the National Institute of Occupational Health and Safety, the National Institutes of Health and the Whitaker Foundation. In addition, her work has appeared in several peer-reviewed and conference publications.

The award provides $4,000 for the recipient.