Faculty and research mentors
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Dr. Michael West
Department of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering
501 E Saint Joseph St,
Rapid City, SD 57701
Tel: (605) 394-1283
Fax: (605) 394-3369
michael.west@sdsmt.edu
BACK TO THE FUTURE
Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Site: Back to the Future was directed by Dr. Michael West with 15 faculty mentors and involved 12 participants representing these institutions: Black Hills State University, Harvey Mudd College and Scripps College, South Dakota School of Mines & Technology, Union University, University of South Carolina, University of St. Thomas, Washington University in St. Louis and Grinnell College.
"This Site is an outgrowth of a renaissance in traditional Metallurgical Engineering aspects of several SDSM&T programs within historical and artistic contexts, as well as a cutting-edge research surge associated with the campus NSF sponsored Center for Friction Stir Processing. The Back to the Future Site will offer a unique 10-week summer research program focused on integrated research experiences that involve Metallurgical Engineering, many with prevailing historical, social or artistic themes." (Proposal to National Science Foundation)
As a result of this summer's program the faculty believes participants will leave this program with increased technical and professional skills: experimental research design, laboratory methods and techniques, written and oral communication skills, and professional development, plus increased understanding of diversity and assessment-all of which are essential characteristics of professionally-successful scientists and engineers.
Faculty: Materials and Metallurgical Engineering
Dr. Stanley Howard, Professor
- Doctoral Degree: Ph.D., Colorado School of Mines
- Research: Materials Processing, Chemical Metallurgy
- Project Title: Faculty Research Mentor
- Students Supervised: REU Student Team
Favorite quotation:
Success is 99 percent perspiration and one percent inspiration.
Thomas Edison
Dr. Jon Kellar, Professor and Associate Site Director
- Doctoral Degree: Ph.D., University of Utah
- Research: Composite Materials, Fine Particle and Nanotechnology
- Project Title: Associate Site Director
- Students Supervised: Mr. L. Kjerstad
Favorite quotation:
Ninety-nine percent of the failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses.
George Washington Carver
Dr. William Cross, Associate Professor
- Doctoral Degree: Ph. D., University of Utah
- Research: Polymer Matrix Composite
- Project Title: Faculty Research Mentor
- Student Supervised: Ms. A. Moore and Ms. I. Phipps-Morgan
Favorite quotation:
Your successes and happiness are forgiven you only if you generously consent to share them.
Albert Camus
Dr. Michael West, Assistant Professor and Site Director
- Doctoral Degree: Ph.D., University of Tennessee
- Research: Materials Joining, Physical Metallurgy
- Project Title: Faculty Research Mentor
- Students Supervised: Mr. I. Markon, Mr. C. Olson, and Mr. D. Schell
Favorite quotation:
An expert is a person who has made all the mistakes that can be made in a very narrow field.
Niels Bohr
Faculty: Civil and Environmental Engineering
Dr. Damon Fick, Assistant Professor
- Doctoral Degree: Ph.D., Purdue University
- Research: Structural Monitoring and Experimental Methods
- Project Title: Faculty Research Mentor
- Students Supervised: Mr. J. Walters
Favorite quotation:
As I have always held it a crime to anticipate evils, I will believe it a good and comfortable road until I am compelled to believe differently.
Meriwether Lewis
Faculty: Industrial Engineering
Dr. Stuart Kellogg, Professor
- Doctoral Degree: Ph.D., University of Colorado
- Research: Nanomaterials, Semiconductors, Electron Microscopy
- Project Title: Assessment Coordinator
- Students Supervised: REU Student Team
Favorite quotation:
Out of clutter, find simplicity. From discord, find harmony. In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.
Albert Einstein
Dr. Jennifer Karlin, Associate Professor
- Doctoral Degree: Ph.D., University of Michigan
- Research: Operational Effectiveness and Engineering Education
- Project Title: Faculty Support Mentor
- Students Supervised: Ms. K. Pinney
Favorite quotation:
Discoveries are often made by not following instructions, by going off the main road, by trying the untried.
Frank Tyger
Faculty: Science and Research
Dr. Phil Ahrenkiel, Assistant Professor
- Doctoral Degree: Ph.D., University of Colorado
- Research: Nanomaterials, Semiconductors, Electron Microscopy
- Project Title: Faculty Research Mentor
- Student Supervised: Mr. A. Howard
Favorite quotation:
Education is not a preparation for life; education is life itself.
John Dewey
Dr. Bharat Jasthi, Assistant Professor
- Doctoral Degree: Ph.D., South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
- Research: Advanced Materials Processing, Powder Metallurgy
- Project Title: Faculty Research Mentor
- Students Supervised: Mr. Bane, Mr. Hanson, Mr. Wells
Favorite quotation:
If we knew what we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?
Albert Einstein
Advanced Materials Processing Center
Dr. Christian Widener, Associate Professor and AMP Director
- Doctoral Degree: Ph.D., Wichita State University
- Research: Materials Joining and Processing
- Project Title: Faculty Research Mentor
- Students Supervised: Ms. A. Giffen, , Mr. J. Walters, and Ms. M. Santestevan
Favorite quotation:
Wisdom is a shelter as money is a shelter, but the advantage of knowledge is this: Wisdom preserves the life of its possessor?
King Solomon Proverb
Faculty: Mathematics
Dr. Edward Corwin, Professor of Mathematics/Computer Science
- Ph.D., Mathematics, Lehigh University
- Ph.D., Computer Science, Texas Tech University
- Research: Analysis of Force Feedback in Friction Stir Welding
- Project Title: Faculty Research Mentor
- Student Supervised: Ms. J. Johnson
Mr. Christopher Konvalin, Instructor of Mathematics
- Masters Degree: M.S., South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
- Research: Neural Networks, Intelligent Systems
- Project Title: Faculty Research Mentor
- Students Supervised: Ms. J. Johnson
Favorite quotation:
True learning must not be content with ideas, which are, in fact, signs, but must discover things in their individual truth.
Umberto Eco
Faculty: Humanities and Social Sciences
Director Patricia Andersen, Director of Devereaux Library
- Masters Degree: M.L.I.S., Louisiana State University
- Research: Library Information and SDSMT History
- Project Title: Historical Focus/Seminar Presenter
- Students Supervised: REU Student Team
Favorite quotation:
Everybody is ignorant, only on different subjects.
Will Rogers
Dr. Alfred Boysen, Professor of English
- Doctoral Degree: Ed.D., University of South Dakota
- Research: Curriculum Design and Instructional Strategy
- Project Title: Communications Coordinator/Seminar Coordinator
- Students Supervised: REU Student Team
Favorite quotation:
This above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man.
William Shakespeare
Dr. Cassandra Degan, Assistant Professor
- Doctoral Degree: Ph.D., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- Research: Design, Fabrication, Analysis of Multifunctional Structures, Materials
- Project Title: Faculty Research Mentor
- Student Supervised: Ms. Knehans
Favorite quotation:
Love what you do, and do what you love.
Ray Bradbury
Dr. Sadegh Safarzadeh, Assistant Professor
- Doctoral Degree: Ph.D., University of Utah
- Research: Hydrometallurgy, Pyrometallurgy, Recovery and Recycling
- Project Title: Faculty Research Mentor
- Student Supervised: Ms. Byers
Favorite quotation:
The history of science is science itself.
Wolfgang Goethe
Dr. Grant Crawford, Assistant Professor
- Doctoral Degree: Ph.D., Arizona State University
- Research: Biomaterials, Physical Metallurgy
- Project Title: Faculty Research Mentor
- Student Supervised: Mr. Mendoza, Ms. Surber
Favorite quotation:
Opportunity is missed by most people, because it is dressed in overalls and looks like... work.
Thomas Edison
Professor Deborah Mitchell, Director of Apex Gallery
- Masters Degree: M.F.A., Utah State University
- Research: Metallurgy: Cultural Perspectives
- Project Title: Artistic Focus/Seminar Presenter
- Students Supervised: REU Student Team
Favorite quotation:
A civilization is as great as its dreams, and its dreams are dreamt by artists.
Proverb