Drexel graduate to pilot Shuttle Atlantis for NASA

Drexel alumnus Chris Ferguson (’84, MEM) will pilot the next mission to space – the Atlantis on STS-115. The shuttle is expected to launch on Sunday, August 27 at 4:30 p.m. A live webcast of the launch will be available here.

 

During the 11-day mission, the six-member crew will be traveling to the International Space Station. They will install the integrated P3/P4 truss segment with its two large solar arrays that will provide one-fourth of the total power generation capability of the completed station. The crew has been preparing for this flight for the past four years.

 

Captain Ferguson is one of approximately 100 American astronauts and the third to graduate from Drexel University . He was selected by NASA in 1998 and is stationed at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. This is his first space mission. Other astronauts from Drexel include James Bagian and Paul Richards.

Interview with Chris Ferguson
STS-115 mission overview
STS-115 training photos
Ferguson’s flight men
Paper to appear in Science magazine

Drexel University researchers and colleagues from the Université Paul Sabatier in France have published the first ever paper in Science magazine related to supercapacitors. Lead author, John Chmiola, a Ph.D. student and NSF and IGERT fellow, worked with advisor, MSE Professor and DNI Director Dr. Yury Gogtsi, as well as with MSE Research Assistant Professor Dr. Gleb Yushin, post-doctoral researcher Cristelle Portet, P. Simon and P. L. Taberna.

 

The supercapacitor research deals with increasing the efficiency of these energy storage devices that are most commonly used in backup power applications.  Chmiola and colleagues found that pore sizes in supercapacitor electrode material could be reduced to about one nanometer in diameter, leading to lighter, more powerful supercapacitors.  These versatile devices are also finding increased usage in personal electronic devices, mobile phones and hybrid electric/fuel cell vehicles for their improved power over batteries.

 

Summer programs wrap up

The College of Engineering’s high school student summer programs (SEED and Summer Mentorship) have concluded. Since early June, nearly 150 students from throughout the Philadelphia area have spent time with CoE faculty and staff exploring various areas of engineering. The Summer Mentorship program wrapped up with a poster session and reception at Dean Selcuk Guceri’s home. The SEED program ended with a competition where students from each of the seven weekly programs raced their individually-built K’nex cars to win the “Ultimate K’nex Challenge.”

 

Three additional NSF-sponsored REU summer programs, geared toward undergraduates, have also ended. Students participating in the DREAM, SENSORS and Engineering Cities programs have spent ten weeks this summer working in Drexel laboratories, attending lectures and workshops, and visiting industry leaders. Their programs concluded with a poster session and reception.

 

CoE Ph.Ds to enter academia

Tom Dziubla, Ph.D. (’03, CBE) will start his academic career as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Kentucky. At Drexel, Dr. Dziubla worked under the guidance of Dr. Tony Lowman.

 

 

Miladin Radovic, Ph.D. (’01, MSE) will start his academic career as an Assistant Professor with the Mechanical Engineering department at Texas A&M University. At Drexel, Dr. Miladin worked under the direction of Dr. Michel Barsoum.

 

 

 

Binil Starly, Ph.D. (’06, MEM) will start his academic career as an Assistant Professor in the Industrial Engineering department at the University of Oklahoma. At Drexel, Dr. Starly worked under the guidance of Dr. Wei Sun.

 

 

 

Jing Zhang, Ph.D. ('05, MSE) started his academic career as an Assistant Professor in the Mechanical Engineering department at the University of Alaska - Fairbanks in September 2005. At Drexel, Dr. Zhang worked under the direction of Dr. Antonios Zavaliangos

A message from the Dean

We take great pride in the accomplishments of our alumni! In just a few days, Chris Ferguson, an alumnus of our mechanical engineering department, will be piloting the Space Shuttle Atlantis, Flight STS-115. This is a very fitting example of our mission - "Engineering New Frontiers" - that has become descriptive of career achievements of so many Drexel engineers and reflects their contributions to making our planet a better place.

 

We wish Astronaut Ferguson a most successful flight and a safe return back to earth to continue serving as an exceptional role model for younger generations. Bon Voyage Chris!

- Dr. Selçuk Güçeri, Dean

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Please contact the editor, Erica Risser, with any questions or for more information about Drexel's College of Engineering.

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