F E A T U R E S T O R Y


Next GenerationofMechE Innovation (continued)


visually impaired students at the UhuruMchanganyiko Primary School learn to write Braille more effectively. “Working inTanzania made me very enthusiastic about Engineers


Without Borders,”Hall says. While Hall does not have a definitive plan to follow his fifth year


and soon-awarded B.S.degree,he hopes to apply his engineering skills to solve problems that face developing nations.


JohnThomas


When Ph.D. candidate JohnThomas arrived at CarnegieMellon after completing his undergraduate degree at Penn State,he knew he wanted to pursue world-class research with Professor Alan McGaughey,his current advisor.Over the past three and a half years,Thomas has done just that, and his work has paid off. In June,Thomas won the


“OutstandingYoung ScientistAward” for his presentation of research among 75 others at the 5th International Conference on Diffusion in Solids and Liquids (DSL) in Rome, Italy. His winning paper, titled“Water Flow and HeatTransfer


Through Carbon NanotubeMembranes: Insights FromMolecular Dynamics Simulations,” focuses on understanding heat flow at the molecular level.His work withMcGaughey identifies phenomena that can be used to“guide the design of future generations of thermal transport systems,” according toThomas. “What we’re doing is the future of science and engineering,”


Thomas says. The DSL-2009 conference included three days of lectures,


presentations, and posters by academics and industrialists.By bring- ing delegates together from around the world, the DSL conference provides an opportunity to network and exchange ideas and insights about topics surrounding heat transfer,mass transfer,nanodiffusion, and nanostructured materials. This is only the most recent of many accolades forThomas.He


was recently awarded the CIT Bertucci Graduate Fellowship for his research in nanotechnology.Created through the generosity of John and Claire Bertucci, this highly competitive fellowship was established to support graduate students pursuing doctoral degrees in the College of Engineering. Thomas was also granted a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship in 2007,was recognized as an


OutstandingTeachingAssistant for the past two years, and has won “Best Presentation” at the 2008 and 2009MechE Bennett Confer- ences. He attributes much of his success to the continuing support he’s received fromMcGaughey and theMechE Department. “It’s nice to be recognized for my work,”Thomas says.“But these


awards are really a manifestation of having an excellent advisor and a supportive Department.” ThroughoutThomas’ graduate career,McGaughey has remained


a pivotal figure.Together, they have published work in top-tier physics and materials science journals and have gained international recognition for their presentations at conferences. “ProfessorMcGaughey is genuinely invested in our success,”


Thomas says of his advisor. Thomas is currently “casting a wide net” for opportunities


in teaching, research, and industry after he defends his thesis next spring.


MechE doctoral student Jeremiah Mpagazehe recently won the NASA Graduate Student Researchers Program (GSRP) Ph.D. Fellowship, created to provide support for graduate students pursuing NASA-related research in engineering, science, and mathematics. Mpagazehe applied for this highly competitive fellowship at the


suggestion of his advisor,Professor C. Fred Higgs III.His winning research proposal is entitled“A Computational Framework to Predict Lunar Dust-Induced Failure of Seals andTribosurfaces: Modeling and Experimentation.” The GSRP Fellowship provides funding forMpagazehe’s time on experimental equipment,materials, and travel to the NASA


JeremiahMpagazehe


4 I C A R N E G I E M E C H


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