Where are our MNEs?
We would like to hear from you. Email Mitzi Farmer at mwfarmer@k-state.edu with information about your career, family or other post-graduation updates. When you send news be sure to include your name, graduation year, a photo if available and your location.
Kendall Pacey, ME ’09, began working for Halliburton in Duncan, OK as a mechanical design engineer. This position in the oil and gas industry has allowed him travel all over the U.S. and once to Canada. He is pursuing an MBA degree in the evenings after work, and he and his wife recently welcomed their first child, Ava. Pacey says she has been “a joy and we hope to bring the future Wildcat to many events in the coming years.”
Clayton Janasek, ME ’96, works at John Deere Coffeyville Works (formerly Funk Mfg) in Coffeyville, KS. He has been at this location for 17 years and worked as a drivetrain product engineer, an electronic controls engineer, senior controls engineer, and is now the engineering supervisor of the electronic controls group. His groups is responsible for delivering transmission control software for the Deere 9R tractors, G-series motor graders, K-series log skidders, 6D and 6B tractors, the new 644 Hybrid Electric 4WD Loader, and a host of OEM off-highway vehicles. Janasek holds four U.S. patents related to clutch and drivetrain control algorithms. He and his five-member team frequently collaborate with and travel to nearly every John Deere location throughout the world. He reports being “very busy”, taking “great pride” in his work and is “thankful” for the opportunity to remain in Kansas. Additionally, he and his wife, Donna, own and operate a hair and nail salon in downtown Independence. Their son, Cory, is a freshman in high school and their daughter, Ashlyn, is in 6th grade.
Al Pace, ME ’73, works at CB&I, as vice president LNG operations, in Houston, Texas.
MNE faculty recognition
Darren Dawson, chair of the electrical and computer engineering department at Clemson University, has accepted the position as dean of the College of Engineering, effective July 1.
William Dunn has been named MNE department head after serving as interim head since August 2013.
Steven Eckels received the Myers-Alford Memorial Teaching Award and College of Engineering Dean’s Awards of Excellence.
Mohammad H. Hosni received the Robert R. and Lila L. Snell Distinguished Career Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching and College of Engineering Dean’s Award of Excellence.
Gurpreet Singh delivered an invited seminar on nano-structured thermal absorber coatings at the Nanotechnology for Defense conference in Tucson, Ariz. He also chaired a symposium on “Controlled Synthesis, Processing and Applications of Structural and Functional Nanomaterials” at the Materials Science & Technology Conference 2013 in Montreal, Canada; and has been invited to deliver a seminar on robust Li-ion battery electrodes at the 38th International Conference and Expo on Advanced Ceramics and Composites in Florida. He was featured in the publication Science Daily regarding his work in rechargeable sodium-ion battery technology, and he and his doctoral student had their work on carbon nano-tube based thermal absorber coatings published in the recent issue of the Scientific Reports journal.
Youqi Wang received a $50,000 funding award from Textile Engineering and Manufacturing, Inc for her project “3D Woven Preform Design Code Simulation and Development.” She also received a $100,000 funding award from U.S.Department of Defense for her project “Ballistic Strength and Optimal Design of Single and Multi-Layer 3-D Fabrics.”
Douglas S. McGregor received a $384,007 funding award from U.S. Department of Defense for his project “Replacement Technology for 3He-Gas Filled Neutron Detectors.”
Douglas S. McGregor and Kenneth L. Shultis received a $52,500 funding award from the U.S.Department of Energy for their project “Technical Assistance on Compact Fission Chamber Development.”
MNE student accomplishments
Kevin Klein and Luke Schnefke have been named to the student alumni board, selected to promote and serve the university and K-State Alumni Association.
Daniel Kenneth Revard was elected into Kansas State University Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa.
Erin Black presented a research paper at the ASME 2013 International Mechanical Engineering Congress in San Diego, CA. She is advised by Gurpreet Singh, assistant professor.
Leroy James Burke III was awarded both the Geraldine Baker Walton Academic Scholarship and the Donald Slater Community Service Scholarship at the 3rd Annual Manhattan Juneteenth Black & White Scholarship Ball. His adviser is Kevin Wanklyn, instructor.
Mark Siemsen has been awarded a $1000 Ammonia Research Foundation Scholarship for 2014.
Lamuel David, graduate student, delivered both oral and research paper presentations at the American Physical Society meeting in Denver, Colo. His adviser is Gurpreet Singh, assistant professor.
Cameron Lucero completed The K-State McNair Scholars Program, funded by the U.S. Department of Education. Cameron was recognized for completing the research internships in summer 2013. Also completing their research the summer will be Alan Duong and Lucas Gorentz.
Calen Chiroy and Andres Martinez won 1st place and Taylor Ochs won 2nd place at the K-State Engineering Undergraduate Research Poster Forum.
Ashton Archer was one of three finalist recognized by ASME as 2014 New Faces of Engineering-College Edition, in The Magazine of ASME.
Kansas State University’s first Kirmser Undergraduate Research Award winners and honorable mention included Ryan Cater, Jason Steuber, Josh Dotson, Taylor Stein and Tain Bai. The team received group category honorable mention for their class work in ME:573: Heat Transfer, taught by Amy Betz, MNE assistant professor. The award was made possible through a gift from the estate of Philip and Jeune Kirmser. The late Philip Kirmser joined the College of Engineering faculty in 1948 and taught in various departments until and after his retirement in 1990.