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2020-21 Academic Newsletter

CREATIONEERING™: Responding to COVID-19 by 3D printing face shields

T A B L E of C O N T E N T S

Dean's Message DR. MARK HORSTEMEYER

Creationeering Football Helmets ELIJAH REEVES

03 03

Creationeering MIKAYLA CARNATHAN & MARC JANTOMASO

Creationeering Club Leadership Interviews

School of Engineering by the Numbers JEREMY STITT & THE CREATE LAB TECH TEAM

LUSE Alumni Family Association BEN SCOVILLE

New Faculty Introductions

Face Shields for Student-Doctors

JARRED PRESTON

JESSICA NEILL

Donations and Alumni

A MESSAGE FROM THE

DEAN In my second year as dean of Liberty University School of Engineering (LUSE), significant progress has been made toward our vision for Creationeering™, which synthesizes science, engineering, entrepreneurship, and business into one coordinated effort. This concept arises from the Dominion Mandate of Genesis 1:26-28 where the Creator commanded us to “rule” and “reign” over the earth. Even with COVID-19 constraints, this past year we: ► achieved high job placement for our LUSE students. Of alumni surveyed, 95% of those employed were employed within six months of graduation and also reported a median salary of $70k. ► grew our SACSCOC-approved graduate program (M.S./Ph.D.) from six students in Spring 2020 to 20 students in Fall 2020. ► grew to the largest number of LUSE residential undergraduates by the end of 2020 with 600 students. ► began our first online engineering program in Fall 2020 with 200 students.

Several faculty members won awards: ► Drs. Tom Eldredge and Hector Medina won the Department of Energy's FAST Pumped-Storage Hydropower Prize (one of four grand prize winners). ► Drs. Hector Medina and Ephraim Zegeye each won an LU Center for Research & Scholarship Faculty Research Project Award. ► Dr. Wayne Strasser won the LU Provost Award for Excellence in Research Mentorship. ► Dr. Mark Atwater won the LU School of Engineering Research Award for Excellence in Research. ► The students and I came in second place in the NFL’s 1st and Future Pitch Competition for our new football helmet design. I look forward to working with our faculty, staff, and students to continue our growth and impact in the realm of engineering. Sincerely,

► brought on new faculty: Drs. Heechen Cho (Mechanical Engineering) and Matt Ricks (Civil Engineering). ► incorporated several world-renowned engineers and scholars as research affiliates into our program: Drs. Jesse Sherburn (Army ERDC Lab), Nathaniel Morgan (Los Alamos National Laboratory), Andy McIntosh (Leeds University, England), Stuart Burgess (Bristol University, England), and Seong Jin Park (Posco Steel, South Korea).

Dr. Mark Horstemeyer Dean

School of Engineering

CRE AT IO NEERI N G Pray. Think. Create … all glory to our Creator!

M I K AY L A C A R N A T H A N A N D M A R C J A N T O M A S O

“In the beginning God created …” GENESIS 1:1 “So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” GENESIS 1:27

In keeping with the focus of Liberty University to integrate Christ and the Gospel into every degree, subject, and field, the School of Engineering is proud to view the field of engineering through God's perspective. We believe that we design, engineer, and create because we are were created in the image of God — the original Creator. We see ourselves as Creationeers.

Creationeering is a term coined by Dr. Horstemeyer and trademarked by Liberty University last year. Creationeering looks at the whole process of engineering — research and development, product design, and sales — through the perspective and inspiration of our Creator God. Creationeering is the act of integrating science, engineering, and entrepreneurship for God's glory through His methods.

Creationeering Club The Creationeering Club seeks to support students' ideas, research, and entrepreneurial endeavors. It was inspired by Joey Guagliardi, Dean Palmer, Devin Guerra, and Jou In Kim. Jace Boda and Jeffrey Loftus currently serve as the club’s President and Vice President, respectively.

Q: Why does the Creationeering Club exist?

Q: What are the benefits of the Creationeering Club?

A: God created the universe in all its intricate detail, and

The Creationeering Club exists to emulate our Creator.

A: majors who want to gain start-up experience while in

It is a resource for Liberty University students of all

we as Creationeers replicate the creation process by applying scientific principles to imagine, design, and develop what has never existed before. Contrary to how the world carries out the engineering process, Creationeers keep Christ as the focal point, drawing from His inspiration to guide and direct their inventions and entrepreneurial endeavors.

college. Whether they have entrepreneurial ideas of their own or want to be a part of significant projects, the Creationeering Club exists to provide a space for students to improve their skills while placing God at the center of it all. - JEFF LOFTUS (Creationeering Club vice president)

- JACE BODA (Creationeering Club president)

Q: What is the value of the Creationeering paradigm? Q: What is the vision of the Creationeering Club? It is to connect Liberty University students with an

A: opportunity to utilize their education and skills in a practical, team-oriented manner so they can strive toward a common goal of creating products or services to better mankind for the glory of God. - JACE BODA (Creationeering Club president)

Creationeering is engineering with God, instead of relying solely on one’s own imagination and skills. Students are encouraged to look to God, the greatest inventor, The Creator, to inspire them as Creationeers who mimic His flawless design. - JEFF LOFTUS (Creationeering Club vice president)

N E W F A C U LT Y I N T R O D U C T I O N S JARRED PRESTON

DR . M ARK AT WATER MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

Dr. Mark Atwater is one of the new mechanical engineering professors in the School of Engineering. His first semester here was Spring 2020, after having taught at Millersville University. He worked for 10 years as a materials engineer and earned a Ph.D. in Materials Engineering from North Carolina State University. His favorite part about working at Liberty is the ability to honor God through teaching. This semester he is teaching Capstone, but he has also taught Materials Science and Introduction to Engineering Fundamentals.

DR . HEECHEN CHO

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING Dr. Heechen Cho is one of the new mechanical engineering professors teaching in 202021. He has a Ph.D. in Computer Engineering from Mississippi State University and has been conducting research focused on modeling geological aspects of the Genesis Flood. This semester he is teaching Materials Science. His favorite parts about Liberty are the faculty, the students, and sharing his research with colleagues, which he could not do at the previous colleges where he worked.

DR . M AT THEW RICK S CIVIL ENGINEERING

Dr. Matthew Ricks is one of the new civil engineering professors for 2020-21. He worked in hydraulics and construction in the private sector for 16 years and has a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from Auburn University, and this semester he is teaching Mechanics of Materials and Engineering Economy. His favorite parts about Liberty are the ways Christ is incorporated into the curriculum and how students are taught to be engineers for Him.

DR . DIANA SCHWERHA

I N D U ST R I A L A N D SYST E M S E N G I N E E R I N G Dr. Diana Schwerha is the new industrial and systems engineering professor for 2020-21. She taught at Ohio University before coming here in the spring semester. She earned her Ph.D. in Industrial and Management Systems Engineering from West Virginia University. Her favorite part about Liberty is the people. She likes being surrounded by Christians who have a genuine desire to help and support the growth of those around them. This semester she is teaching Engineering Economy, Quality Assurance, and Human Factors.

DR . SONGSU SON CIVIL ENGINEERING

Dr. Songsu Son is also one of the new civil engineering professors for 2020-21. He taught at the American University in Dubai before coming to LU in the spring semester. He has 10+ years of experience in his field with a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His favorite parts about Liberty are the people, the fact it is a Christian school, and his feeling that being here fulfills God’s calling for his life.

School of Engineering

FACE SHIELDS FOR

STUDENTDOCTORS JESSICA NEILL

EVEN IN THE MIDST OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, God has been working in Liberty University’s School of Engineering (LUSE). Students, faculty, and staff all felt the negative impact of the outbreak as it interrupted many lives in 2020. After Spring Break, classes were moved to a virtual format as the school was closed to students for the remainder of the semester. With the onset of the pandemic, the need for personal protective equipment (PPE) increased dramatically, causing supply shortages. Liberty students rose to the occasion to meet this widespread need. A team of engineering students began the process of designing a prototype for plastic face shields. Hearing of this project, Dr. Raena Pettitt, chair of the Department of Family Medicine at Liberty University’s College of Osteopathic Medicine (LUCOM), contacted Dean of Engineering Dr. Mark Horstemeyer to determine whether his team could produce face shields for LUCOM student-doctors. Through this interaction, a partnership was formed to produce custom face shields designed specifically for use by Liberty’s student-doctors. Engineering students Patrick DaCosta (junior in Mechanical Engineering) and Josh Ingram (sophomore in Electrical Engineering) headed up the project, working with graduate student Tate Fonville. Using SolidWorks software, a prototype for the headband and bottom bracket were designed and presented to Pettitt for approval. Following suggestions and adjustments of the design, manufacturing of the components began. A total of six 3D printers, located at the Center for Engineering Research and Education (CERE), ran 24 hours a day for over a month to manufacture the required components. Ingram stated that printing the frames for three face shields took between eight and nine hours. Printing the bottom brackets 14 at a time, the 3D printers were able to produce 68 within a 24-hour period. In addition to smaller components that could be 3D printed, large pieces of clear plastic sheet were required for the face shield fronts. This material was graciously donated by chemical engineer Ryan Neill, father of Liberty engineering students Jessica and Jonathan Neill. Mr. Neill’s northeast Tennessee custom colored sheet and film extrusion company, Innovex LLC, had been continuously manufacturing the product specifically for use in face shields since the beginning of the pandemic. Once the large pieces of plastic sheet arrived in Lynchburg, they were cut to the correct specifications using CERE’s high-pressure waterjet. DaCosta and Ingram are both student workers with LUSE and spend much of their time operating CERE’s hightech machinery, as well as training other students how to use them safely. The successful completion of this project resulted in the production of over 300 face shields for Liberty’s student-doctors. Dr. Pettitt was very pleased with the final product and said the face shields would continue to provide protection for LUCOM students, faculty, and staff as their needs change. Throughout the duration of the project, the ultimate goal was to bring glory to God through the implementation of our Creationeering paradigm — combining engineering and business principles to find a Christ-centered outcome.

School of Engineering

HPVC team places in the top five in 2020

World’s smallest ventilator

VISIT THE NEWS STORY

CREATIONEERING is SEEING THE CREATOR through the disciplines and integration of SCIENCE, ENGINEERING, & ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Firearm loader invention VISIT THE NEWS STORY

Dr. Medina's research on the modeling and control of soft robotics VISIT THE NEWS STORY

C R E AT I O N E E R I N G F O O T B A L L H E L M E T S ELIJAH REEVES

Dr. Horstemeyer, dean of Liberty University’s School of Engineering, and his team of fellow professors and graduate students created a football helmet that claimed second place in the NFL’s 1st and Future competition, which was sponsored to spur innovations in player health and safety. The objective of the helmet research project is to reduce brain injury, trauma, and concussions. “In designing a more protective football helmet, we wanted to converge the modeling of the brain from a human with the bio-inspiration for energy shock absorption,” the dean said. As Horstemeyer and his team developed the helmet for the competition, they ran many computer simulations of animals, specifically on impact and the related distribution of force on the animal’s head. They aimed to use knowledge from studying animal skulls to better protect the human brain.

When asked of his helmet design inspiration, Dr. Horstemeyer stated, “I started thinking about how God protected animals from impact. I began looking at the ram’s horns and woodpeckers, and I asked God, ‘How did you protect all these animals? How can a woodpecker beat its head against a tree and never incur a concussion? Does the geometrical shape of the ram’s horn aid in dissipating vibration and shock waves? God, what are your engineering designs from which we can learn?’” Having students contribute to the project and overcoming learning curves during the experiments presented challenges for the research group, but their persevering faith, hard work, and dedication allowed the team to seize second place as they created for God’s glory and the good of mankind.

School of Engineering

From a

STANDARD MACHINE SHOP to cutting-edge

ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING MACHINES, CERE has the resources for any number of specialty projects.

C R E AT I O N E E R I N G T O O L S Tools to Create at the Center for Engineering Research and Education (CERE)

ARCAM 3D PRINTER

WATERJET

JEOL SEM

creates solid parts from metal powders using electron beam (EBM) systems.

precision cuts materials with highpressure water and abrasives.

produces images of a sample by scanning the surface with a focused beam of electrons.

ETS-LINDGREN ELECTROMAGNETIC CHAMBER

HELMET DROP TOWER

BIOKINETICS IMPACTOR

evaluates impact performance of helmets.

simulates head-to-head collisions between football players as a means of evaluating helmet effectiveness.

assists in research of electromagnetic compatibility, pulsed power systems, radar, and antenna design.

CHECK OUT MORE CREATIONEERING TOOLS

School of Engineering

ONLINE:  218 RESIDENTIAL:  583

ACADEMIC NUMBERS AS OF JUNE 21, 2021

BY THE NUMBERS

ENGINEERING DEGREES: 12

OF GRADUATES CURRENTLY EMPLOYED OBTAINED EMPLOYMENT WITHIN 6 MONTHS OF GRADUATING.* * based on 2019-20 Alumni Survey Data

School of Engineering

L U S E A L U M N I F A M I L Y A S S O C I AT I O N

Meet Your Leadership Team

There is no greater time than now to engage in community and build up one another. As human beings, we all need each other because God has wired us for community. Our mission is to connect with alumni, build community within the family, and grow as Champions for Christ. Our leadership team is comprised of LUSE graduates who are committed to representing their fellow alumni. We are incredibly proud of our alumni network across the globe and are excited to connect with you. Reach out to us if you would like to join the family or make an impact on alumni and students along with us. If there is ever a way we can serve you, please let us know. The LUSE Alumni Family Association is here for you!

BEN SCOVILLE

Alumni Family President

AMY WILLIAMS Leader of Enrichment

Major: Electrical Engineering Year of graduation: 2017 Company: University of California, Irvine Title: Graduate Student, Master of Science in Computer Science

DAVID & ALEX SATAGAJ Leaders of Engagement

Major: Computer Engineering (David) & Mechanical Engineering (Alex) Year of graduation: 2020 Company: ST Engineering iDirect (David) & WSP (Alex) Title: Software Engineer (David) & Engineering Consultant (Alex)

HOPE HARVEY Leader of Events

KATELYN SOWARDS Leader of Employment

Major: Mechanical Engineering Year of graduation: 2018 Company: Lockheed Martin Title: Mechanical Engineer

ADDISON RIVERS Alumni Family Vice President

Major: Electrical Engineering Year of graduation: 2017 Company: USAF Title: Space/Counterspace Engineer

BEN SCOVILLE

Alumni Family President

Major: Computer Engineering

Major: Electrical Engineering

Year of graduation: 2020

Year of graduation: 2017

Company: Raytheon Technologies

Company: Collins Aerospace

Title: Electrical Engineer

Title: Systems Engineer

J O I N T H E E N G I N E E R I N G A L U M N I FA M I LY ! Fill out a brief survey to join and receive a free Alumni Commemorative Coin.

SCAN TO TAKE SURVEY

Visit our alumni page at  LIBERTY.EDU/ENGINEERING.

School of Engineering

 Liberty.edu/Engineering  (434) 592-7150 |  se@liberty.edu @LibertyUEngineering Training Champions for Christ since 1971