The PECASE program recognizes outstanding scientists and engineers who, early in their careers, show exceptional potential for leadership at the frontiers of knowledge. This Presidential Award is the highest honor bestowed by the United States Government on scientists and engineers beginning their independent careers.

Don DeVoe, mechanical engineering (ME)
Recognized for developing a novel approach to fabricate six-degree-of-freedom micromechanisms, and for innovative educational activities that nurture capable MEMS researchers of the future.

Satyandra Kumar Gupta, mechanical engineering (ME) and Institute for Systems Research
Recognized for developing "Spatial Algorithms for Automated Design of Multi-Piece Multi-Stage Molds for Manufacturing Geometrically Complex Heterogeneous Objects."

Andre Marshall, aerospace engineering and fire protection engineering
Recognized for his research titled "Exploring jet fragmentation and atomization for combustion and fire suppression systems."

Elisabeth Smela, mechanical engineering (ME)
Recognized for her research to develop a new type of microscopic artificial muscle, or autonomous actuator, technology.

Edo Waks, electrical and computer engineering
Recognized for work in nanophotonics.

Bruce Yu, Fischell Department of Bioengineering and UMD School of Pharmacy
Recognized for work with force-sensitive nanofiber networks.

Fellowships in engineering professional associations recognize Clark School faculty members' contributions to research, education, and service in their fields, and indicate in many cases up to ten years of commitment to the associations. The Clark School congratulates the following faculty members for this important honor.

The lists below are updated on an annual basis.

American Association for the Advancement of Science

Mikhail Anisimov (Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering [ChBE])
William Bentley (Fischell Department of Bioengineering [BioE])
Arthur Bergles (mechanical engineering [ME])
Rama Chellappa (electrical and computer engineering [ECE])
Avis Cohen (biology/Institute for Systems Engineering [ISR])
George Dieter (ME)
Dan Lathrop (Institute for Research in Engineering and Applied Physics [IREAP], physics)
K. J. Ray Liu (ECE)
Luz Martinez-Miranda (MSE)
C. D. (Dan) Mote, Jr. (ME)
Patrick O'Shea (ECE/physics)
Herbert Rabin (Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute [Mtech]/ECE)
Jan Sengers (ME/ChBE)
Ben Shneiderman (computer science/ISR/University of Maryland Institute for Advanced Computer Studies)

American Academy of Microbiology

William Bentley (BioE)

American Ceramics Society

Isabel Lloyd (MSE)

American Institute for Medical and Biomedical Engineering

William Bentley (BioE)
John Fisher (BioE)

American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics

Balakumar Balachandran (ME)
Arthur Bergles (ME)
Inderjit Chopra (aerospace engineering [AE])
Ashwani K. Gupta (ME)
James Hubbard (AE)
Mark Lewis (AE)
Darryll Pines (AE)
Herbert Rabin (Mtech/ECE)
Norman Wereley (AE)
David Van Wie (AE)

American Institute of Chemical Engineers

Ray Adomaitis (ChBE)
Mikhail Anisimov (ChBE)
Arthur Bergles (ME)
Richard Calabrese (ChBE)
Marino di Marzo (fire protection engineering [FPE]/ME)
Thomas McAvoy (ISR)
Jan Sengers (ME)

American Nuclear Society

Mohammad Modarres (ME)
Joseph Silverman (materials science and engineering [MSE])

American Physical Society

Mikhail Anisimov (ChBE)
Peter Bernard (ME)
Robert M. Briber (MSE)
Christopher Cadou (AE)
James Duncan (ME)
Luz Martinez-Miranda (MSE)
Herbert Rabin (Mtech/ECE)
Gary Rubloff (MSE)
Ray Sedwick (AE)
Jan V. Sengers (ME, ChBE)
Ichiro Takeuchi (MSE)
James M. Wallace (ME)

American Society for Civil Engineers

Allen Davis (civil and environmental engineering [CEE])
Paul Schonfeld (CEE)

American Society for Engineering Education

Arthur Bergles (ME)
George Dieter (ME)
Arthur T. Johnson (BioE)
Thomas M. Regan (ChBE)

American Society for Metals

Sreeramamurthy Ankem (MSE)
George Dieter (ME)

American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning

Arthur Bergles (ME)
Michael O'Hadi (ME)
Reinhard Radermacher (ME)

American Society for Mechanical Engineers

Davinder K. Anand (ME)
Shapour Azarm (ME)
Balakumar Balachandran (ME)
Avram Bar-Cohen (ME)
Donald Barker (ME)
Amr Baz (ME)
Arthur Bergles (ME)
Hugh Bruck (ME)
Inderjit Chopra (AE)
Patrick Cunniff (ME)
James Dally (ME)
Marino di Marzo (ME)
Alison Flatau (ME)
Ashwani K. Gupta (ME)
Satyandra K. Gupta (ME)
Bongtae Han (ME)
Keith Herold (BioE)
Jungho Kim (ME)
Edward Magrab (ME)
C. D. (Dan) Mote Jr. (ME)
Michael Ohadi (ME)
Michael Pecht (ME)
Darryll Pines (AE)
James Quintiere (FPE)
Donald Riley (ME)
R.J. Sanford (ME)
Jan Sengers (ME/ChBE)
Katepelli Sreenivasan (ME)
Ephraim Suhir (ME)
Norman Werely (AE)

American Vacuum Society

Gary Rubloff (MSE/NanoCenter)
Gottlieb Oehrlein (MSE)

Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers

Eyad Abed (ECE/ISR)
Ashok Agrawala (computer science/ECE)
Thomas Antonsen (IREAP/ECE/physics)
John Baras (ECE/ISR)
David Barbe (Mtech/ECE)
Avram Bar-Cohen (ME)
Alexander Barg (ECE/ISR)
Shuvra Bhattacharyya (ECE)
Gilmer Blankenship (ECE)
Rama Chellappa (ECE)
Aris Christou (ME/MSE)
Mario Dagenais (ECE)
Christopher Davis (ECE/ISR)
Nicholas De Claris (ECE)
Anthony Ephremides (ECE/ISR)
Michael Fu (business/ISR/ECE)
Victor Granatstein (ECE)
Robert Harger (ECE)
Joseph JaJa (ECE)
Arthur Johnson (BioE)
P.S. Krishnaprasad (ECE/ISR)
Chi Lee (ECE)
William Levine (ECE/ISR)
K.J. Ray Liu (ECE)
Armand Makowski (ECE/ISR)
Steven Marcus (ECE/ISR)
John Melngailis (ECE)
Robert Newcomb (ECE)
Patrick O’Shea (ECE)
Jon Orloff (ECE)
Edward Ott (ECE)
Michael Pecht (ME/CALCE)
Martin Peckerar (ECE)
Mark Shayman  (ECE)
Ben Shneiderman (CS/ISR/UMIACS)
Ephraim Suhir (ME)
Leonard Taylor (ECE)
Andre Tits (ECE/ISR)
Min Wu (ECE/ISR)
Kawthar Zaki (ECE)

Optical Society of America

Rama Chellappa (ECE)
Mario Dagenais (ECE)
Julius Goldhar (ECE)
C. H. Lee (ECE)
Herbert Rabin (Mtech/ECE)

Society of Fire Protection Engineers

James Milke (FPE)
James Quintiere (FPE)

Ms. Kathy Lopresti, assistant director of undergraduate and graduate studies in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, is the recipient of the 2011 Dr. Marilyn Berman Pollans Outstanding Service Award for Staff. As assistant director of undergraduate and graduate studies, Ms. Lopresti manages all student records, supports recruiting activities and serves as the initial advisor for all freshmen and transfer students. She is noted for exceptional service to students, serving as the “face” of the department, and is described by one student as the “heart of the University.” The new Chemical Engineering Graduate Student Association credits her with their success as she helped them get the organization off the ground. Faculty members admire her work to build the department’s undergraduate services and for her assistance with the department’s ABET accreditation process.

Pamela Abshire

Dr. Pamela Abshire, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering and the Institute for Systems Research, is the recipient of the 2011 E. Robert Kent Teaching Award for Junior Faculty. Dr. Abshire was recognized for teaching senior courses in microelectronics, including one circuits course that she created, Analog and Digital Electronics II, so that students could focus on project design in their capstone coursework. Students who have taken her microelectronics courses stated that her teaching prepared them for success in industry or graduate school with her emphasis on practical applications. In addition to her teaching duties, Dr. Abshire is noted for advising a record number of student independent research projects–55 undergraduate and 97 graduate. Colleagues commended her leadership on grants, accreditation activities and overseeing the capstone design course system in her department. Her student evaluations are well above average. One student noted that "Dr. Abshire is so passionate about everything she does that it is infectious."

Thomas Murphy

Associate Professor Thomas Murphy has demonstrated that the use of nonlinear optical effects can lead to significant improvements in ultra-high-speed optical communications systems; introduced novel techniques to modulate and demodulate microwave signals on to an optical carrier to reduce nonlinear distortions; explored new methods to use arrays of interconnected lasers for image processing or motion sensing; and investigated the use of nanoporous semiconductors. He has established a strong record of competitive funding and high quality publications, is an active advisor of graduate students and serves as a member of a number of professional and campus organizations.

4-Year Plan (University of Maryland Student Academic Success Policy): Students should complete a plan of coursework for their four years as an undergraduate. This plan is to be used as a guide for what the student could take in the coming semesters. The plan can change based on meetings with the student’s departmental advisor or UA&AS advisors and student academic performance. A student should bring this plan to any advising appointment where semester registration will be discussed. NOTE: Suggestions are available at the link above on how to create a 4-year plan.

Academic Benchmarks: All students who matriculated to the University of Maryland in Fall 2005 and after are subject to academic benchmark reviews. For engineering students, these reviews are at 45 University of Maryland credits (not including credit hours earned prior to matriculation) and two other times prior to their graduation. When students are reviewed for the 2nd and 3rd benchmarks depends upon the semester they matriculated. Students should prepare for these reviews by making successful progress through their major coursework. Each benchmark has requirements that are unique to each major.

Academic Dismissal: Students who have questions about policies or procedures related to dismissal should speak with an advisor in UA&AS. Students who have earned 60 or more total credits will be dismissed if their cumulative GPA remains below 2.0 for two consecutive semesters (excluding winter and summer terms). Students who attain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 in the preceding winter or summer term will not be subject to dismissal. The Office of Undergraduate Admissions will notify students in writing when they are dismissed. The notices will include a statement that registration for the next semester (excluding winter or summer terms) will be canceled. Normally, a student dismissed for academic reasons must wait one semester (fall or spring) before reinstatement. Exceptions will be determined by the Faculty Petition Board.

Academic Probation: Students will be placed on academic probation if their cumulative GPA falls below 2.0. Normally, the student is expected to attain a 2.0 cumulative GPA at the end of a probationary semester. Students who fail to achieve a 2.0 cumulative GPA at the end of their probationary semester may be academically dismissed, depending on their credit total.

Courses Outside Univeristy of Maryland: Any student wishing to take a course over the summer at an institution other than the University of Maryland-College Park, must ask for permission to do so by submitting a Permission to Enroll Form [pdf].

Declaration of Minor(s): Students planning to complete a minor should be registered for that minor by the end of schedule adjustment three semesters prior to expected graduation.

Declaration of Second Major(s)/Degree(s): Students planning to complete a second major/degree must have paperwork completed and be registered for that major/degree by the end of schedule adjustment three semesters prior to expected graduation.

Policy Violation: A review of pertinent Academic Policies is available online. Students who have extenuating circumstances may ask for permission for an exception to policy. Permission should be requested through a formal Petition for an Exception to Policy form found under Forms [online form] online form which should include all documentation of the extenuating circumstances as well as a personal statement by the student to the Petitions Committee.  NOTE: Approval of petitions is not guaranteed.

Repeat Policy: Any University of Maryland student may attempt any course twice or repeat a course once for up to a total of 18 total credit hours (please note that most MATH courses are 4 credit hours). If a student withdraws from a course they will earn a “W,” which will count as an attempt at the course. NOTE: Both attempts at a course are calculated into the students’ Grade Point Average (GPA) unless the course was originally taken during the first semester (for transfer students) or within the first 24 credit hours (for first-time students) taken at the University of Maryland. For those courses, the new grade will replace the old grade in the student’s cumulative GPA but the original grade WILL NOT be deleted from the transcript.

Withdrawal/Drop Policy: No more than 4 credit hours may be dropped during any one semester after the last day of schedule adjustment. A grade of a “W” (withdrawal) will be present on the student transcript for that course. Please see the Academic Calendar for specific dates per semester.

Withdrawal from a Semester: If your student suffers a serious ongoing illness or other long-term issue and needs to leave the university for the entire term, they can withdraw from all of their courses. The repeat policy will not apply to courses taken during the academic semester from which the student officially withdrew. Students must submit written notice of withdrawal to the Office of the Registrar no later than the last day of classes. A student's return to the University is contingent upon the conditions outlined in the online catalog.  NOTE: Students who have earned a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA, with no previous withdrawal or leave of absence, may return to the University the following semester through Re-Enrollment. However, students who withdraw when they are not in good academic standing (cumulative GPA of 2.0 or better), must go through the reinstatement process and are not guaranteed entrance back into the Clark School of Engineering.

Meet the 2010 Recipients

Information Science

Professor Carol Espy-Wilson (ECE/ISR) and research graduate assistant Srikanth Vishnubhotla were recognized for "Multi-Pitch Tracking in Adverse Environments," which addresses a problem that sounds familiar to anyone who has used a cell phone in a public place: background noise. The novel algorithm "cleans up" speech by separating the voices of the primary speakers from their noisy environments. Espy-Wilson plans to develop the technology through her start-up company, OmniSpeech. The technology also can be used to improve sound quality in hearing aids, military sniper and subject identification, and teleconferencing.

Physical Science

"Nano Arrays for Energy Storage," invented by professors Gary Rubloff (materials science and engineering, Maryland NanoCenter, UMERC and ISR) and Sang Bok Lee (chemistry), research assistant Parag Banerjee and others, won in the Physical Science category. Their invention offers high-density energy storage for vehicle and electronic device batteries. The arrays have a capacity that is 10 times higher than available products and can be produced using inexpensive materials. Rubloff and Lee plan to start a company to bring the nano arrays to market.

Adrian Papamarcou

Associate Professor Adrian Papamarcou (electrical and computer engineering) frequently chairs the department's general academic affairs committee, a challenging position that requires hard work and problem-solving. Among his colleagues, he is known as a curriculum innovator, working tirelessly to improve the courses he teaches. He has developed two courses, including creating one textbook and overhauling another, for signal and systems theory at the sophomore and junior level in an effort to raise the quality of education for those students. Students often remark that he is one of the best teachers they had, giving meticulous attention to his lectures and seeking feedback from them to make sure they understand the material. He never misses a class and is known for learning the name of every student in each of his classes, no matter how large.

Srini Raghavan

Dr. Srini Raghavan, associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, is the recipient of the 2010 E. Robert Kent Teaching Award for Junior Faculty. Dr. Raghavan is recognized for his wildly inspiring lectures and his record of training and developing student researchers -- he has advised no less than 60 undergraduate students in his lab since 2001.

Dr. Raghavan has taught four courses and is noted for leading the discussion sections of his Kinetics class, instead of having a teaching assistant do it. He teaches from PowerPoint slides he developed rather than from a textbook. Students call him the most engaging and inspiring teacher they have ever had. One student gives Dr. Raghavan credit for turning him into a leader and a fearless researcher. He is known for working late into the night with his graduate students to help them fine-tune presentations and papers.

Several of his students have spun out their research into a company, Remedium Technologies, which has developed an innovative foam to help treat hemorrhaging wounds.