Month: July 2016

Student Presented DNDO Award

July 21, 2016

Adam Olsen, Nuclear Ph.D. student, presented a poster at the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO) Academic Research Initiative (ARI) 9th annual grantees program review meeting. The review meeting, July 12th-14, topics covered were nuclear forensics, materials research, and passive detection technologies. As a part of the meeting activities Olsen’s poster was named as one of the top three posters presented.

Olsen’s research presented was focused on quantitatively characterizing the surface morphology of the uranium oxide U3O8. The purpose of the characterization is help determine the origin of interdicted uranium oxide. The U3O8 samples were synthesized between 600°C – 800°C while holding other parameters constant. The samples were then analyzed by powder-XRD to determine purity and imaged with an SEM. The SEM images were analyzed by segmenting individual sub-particles which were then measured to determine attributes such as particle area and circularity.

2016 Transportation Camp

July 19, 2016

The Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at the University of Utah hosted the annual National Transportation Summer Institute Camp on July 11 – July 15, 2016. The department hosted 23, incoming, 9th grade students. The camp targeted students who are interested in exploring engineering, specifically transportation engineering, as a career.

As part of the camp, the students worked on creating a digital presentation. Students divided into four groups and covered various topics about transportation. Groups focused on defining transportation engineering, explaining how infrastructure is built and paid for, cost of transportation infrastructure, and new innovation and design of traffic systems. Students spent time learning about these topics throughout the week and interviewed each other about what they learned. At the end of the week, each group gave a short presentation on what they learned about their assigned topics.

One of the camp activities included listening to various speakers from Union Pacific, UTA, UDOT, and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Students were able to interact with industry professionals and ask questions about the different aspects of transportation engineering. A favorite activity of the students was visiting the UDOT Airport Hangar and driving the simulator in the Civil Engineering Traffic Lab. Students also tested the speed of cars driving around campus with radar guns. The students participated in numerous field trips throughout the week including visits to the TOC at UDOT, several construction sites in the local area, as well as the Front Runner and Light Rail facilities.The week wrapped up with the students testing concrete materials in the lab that they had created earlier in the week.

Overall, the camp was a great success. The participants enjoyed the field trips and learning more about transportation engineering.

ITE Student Chapter Receives Award

July 17, 2016

University of Utah Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) student chapter receives the Student Chapter Award Honorable Mention from the western ITE region in the Western ITE Annual meeting on July 12th in Albuquerque, NM. There are a total of 29 quantified student chapter compete for the award, and for a second year in a row, University of Utah student chapter is acknowledged as the runner-up.

The purpose of the Student Chapter Award is to encourage Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Student Chapters to:

  • 1. Achieve the objectives set forth by the Student Chapter Charter: “to promote the advancement of the transportation and traffic engineering profession by fostering the close association of students with the transportation and traffic engineering profession and the Institute; to acquaint Chapter Members with topics of interest in transportation and traffic engineering through the medium of addresses by competent speakers, and of Chapter sponsored trips; to foster the development of professional spirit; to promote common interests among Chapter Members; to encourage the expansion of facilities for transportation and traffic engineering study,” and
  • 2. To provide a means for the Institute to recognize outstanding accomplishments in such activities.

    • More information here.