The Ohio State University

Denny Guenther, professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, was awarded the 2008 Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching at Ohio State. Guenther has been teaching full-time at Ohio State for nearly 34 years. He has taught courses in a wide variety of areas within mechanical engineering during his tenure at OSU. He has taught courses in mechanical design including the capstone design course, dynamic systems including courses on vehicle dynamics, thermal and fluid systems, and applied mechanics. Students in his courses value his energy and enthusiasm, the practical experience he brings into the classroom, and his obvious interest in students and teaching.

Craig Pavlich loves to remind Eric Schacht about the time he "broke the car."

"Well, I was driving rather ... aggressively, and I snapped the axle shaft," said Schacht, a junior in electrical engineering. "We had to get the car towed."

"Everyone's waiting for him, and he never shows up," said Pavlich, a senior in mechanical engineering.

"The GM guys welded it back together," Schacht said.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded Rebecca Dupaix $400,000 to jump-start new research that will ultimately advance the state of the art in polymer manufacturing.

Dupaix, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering, acquired the funding in addition to receiving the Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award from NSF. This award emphasizes the importance placed on the early development of academic careers dedicated to stimulating the discovery process in which the excitement of research is enhanced by inspired teaching and enthusiastic learning.

With her newest award and funding, Dupaix will begin developing experimental and numerical tools to optimize the micro-hot embossing process for amorphous polymers.

Brian Hajek, associate chair for the nuclear engineering program and senior research engineer in the Department of Mechanical Engineering has been appointed to serve as a judge on the U.S. Nuclear Commission's Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel.

Through the Atomic Energy Act, Congress made it possible for the public to get a full and fair hearing on civilian nuclear matters. Individuals who are directly affected by any licensing action involving a facility producing or utilizing nuclear materials can participate in a hearing before independent judges of the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel.

Shannon Yee, a graduate student in nuclear engineering, won a second place award and $1,500 at the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition (IMECE) in Seattle, Washington. Yee is also a U.S. Department of Energy Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative National Fellow at Ohio State.