Since Sunday, June 9, Parks College has played host to 36 rising junior and senior high school students from 13 different states for their Summer Academy, an engineering and aviation summer camp. Throughout their time on campus, they have been exploring the many facets of science, aviation and engineering through a variety of activities.

The theme of the camp is sustainability. Campers were divided into groups of six to design, build and test solar cookers. In addition to the group project, students are attending sessions lead by Parks faculty. Some of these sessions include: learning how to create a more sustainable planet, understanding civil engineering structures, trying their hand at flying an aircraft in a flight simulator, taking a discovery flight near the arch in a DA-20 Diamond airplane and participating in demonstrations in a biomedical engineering laboratory, strength of materials laboratory, wind tunnel, engineering physics, electrical engineering and computer engineering.

However, the camp was not all academics. Campers also took time to enjoy “Air Racers,” the IMAX movie at the St. Louis Science Center, play laser tag and rock climb at Chesterfield Sports Fusion, and spend some time in SLU’s Simon Rec Center.

Camp will conclude with a presentation to parents, faculty and staff on Thursday, June 13.

Additional Resources

• Learn more about Parks College’s summer programs

Civil Engineering Program's class of 2013

“I would call this class ‘the class of heroes’ not only because they took the risk to be the first to join a newly established program, but also because they contributed significantly to establishing students organizations such as the ASCE SLU chapter and Engineers Without Borders, enhancing the curriculum, and working hard inside and outside the classroom,” said Riyadh Hindi, Ph.D., an associate professor of civil engineering.

Krishnaswamy Ravindra, Ph.D., associate dean for Parks College and author of the initial proposal for the department, recalled the excitement and support from the St. Louis engineering community when the idea for the program first came about in 2008.

“Just over one year after the proposal, 10 students entered the program in the fall 2009 semester,” Ravindra said. “This is a process that typically takes years, and we accomplished it in just one year.”

“We started out with ten and we finished with 20 students,” John Woolschlager, Ph.D., chair of the Civil Engineering Department added. “Most programs that start out with 10 finish with five. I think that’s a tremendous reflection of the quality of the faculty and students in our program.”

“I am very proud of the progress our civil engineering department has made over the last four years. Our inaugural class of civil engineering graduates consists of outstanding achievers prepared to become global leaders in their future career paths.”

- Theodosios Alexander, Sc.D., Dean of Parks College

“The program is in very healthy state; every faculty member in the department is involved in research, and we are excited to add two additional outstanding faculty members in the fall. We are looking forward to the department making significant contributions to the education, service and research mission of Parks College, Saint Louis University, the nation and the world in the future.”

The development of the program hinged on the participation of many alumni and donors.

“We are particularly grateful for the assistance we received from the donors who made possible the launch of the program four years ago, and we are looking forward to the continued help and support of our constituents to enable the program to flourish further in the future,” Alexander remarked.

Additional Resources

• Civil Engineering Department
• American Society of Civil Engineers - SLU chapter
• Engineers Without Borders

Unlike currently available Ventricular Assist Devices (VADs), both devices in development by  Alexander’s teams are designed for installation without cardiopulmonary bypass and with minimally invasive surgery. This work is a paradigm shift in cardiac assist devices, which promises to change medical practices in the field. The outcome of this research has enormous implications for the quality of life for patients and their caregivers, and also provides long-term financial advantages for these patients and for their medical provision.

Background:

Congestive heart failure (CHF), a condition in which the human heart pumps blood ineffectively, is the leading cause of death in the western world. In the United States alone about five million people suffer from CHF, and about 500,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. CHF is graded and inevitably progresses in stages I, II, III and IV depending on the severity of symptoms. Medications work in stages I and II but their use is palliative in stages III and IV. Ultimately, death is likely within a few years of diagnosis. Unfortunately, donor hearts meet only two percent of the demand. Inevitably everyone knows someone who is affected by CHF. The CHF problem has led to the development of pump assist devices. Most of today’s pump assist devices are attached to the left ventricle of the heart and referred to as left ventricular assist devices (LVADs). LVADs require complex and invasive surgery, resulting in high mortality and morbidity rates. Therefore, they are used as a last solution only in stage IV of CHF.

Theodosios Alexander, Sc.D., Dean of Saint Louis University’s Parks College, is working to change the way we approach CHF and cardiovascular devices. He has been awarded the Inventor of the Year Award by the UK National Health Service Innovations Program for his personal research on mechanical circulatory support devices (MCS devices). These devices differ from VADs in that they are not attached to the heart and require minimally invasive surgery rather than an overly invasive procedure. He is actively pursuing the development and commercialization of these devices in London and now in St. Louis. His latest device, the one he is pursuing in St. Louis, is designed for use in early stage III CHF to assist the patient’s heart.  Additionally, the device is removable because in many cases the device will help the heart recover and regenerate.

Theodosios Alexander (a.k.a. Theodosios Korakianitis), Sc.D., Dean of Parks College said, “This success is a momentous and historic milestone for aviation, Parks College and Saint Louis University.” He added, “Parks College is dedicated to excellence in research-led education via building collaborative and inter-disciplinary research capabilities. The doctoral programs in aviation and engineering are part of the foundation for the national and international recognition of Parks College as a leading powerhouse for cutting-edge, industry-relevant and science-driven research.”

Left to right: Damon Lercel, Ph.D. & Theodosios Alexander, Sc.D

Manoj Patankar, Ph.D., the Executive Director of Parks College’s Center for Aviation Safety Research, funded and supported Lercel’s research through his grant, and calls this success “a dream come true.” Parks College has been working on the concept of a Ph.D. degree in aviation for more than 10 years, recognizing the need for such a degree as well as the academic rigor and research funding required in order to achieve this milestone in aviation.

Lercel, who also serves as the Program Director of Parks College’s Center for Aviation Safety Research, is thrilled to be the first to receive a Ph.D. in aviation. “The program offered not only an in-depth immersion in research, but also opportunities to interact with both the domestic and international aviation industries,” Lercel said. He continued, “It’s a victory for the advancement of aviation.”

Lercel’s doctoral research has generated a body of new information through interviews, literature reviews, surveys and interactive workshops. This body of information formed a discourse, which enabled him to suggest a unique approach to breaking the current gridlock in implementing Safety Management Systems (SMS) programs across domestic repair stations. This approach to shifting the dialogue from position-based detailed arguments to interest-based collaborative development offers not only a promising solution to the specific challenge of SMS implementation, but paves the way for many similar safety challenges in aviation and beyond.

Additional Resources

• Department of Aviation Science
• Aviation Degree Programs offered at Parks College
• Graduate Programs offered at Parks College

About Saint Louis University

Saint Louis University is a Catholic, Jesuit institution that values academic excellence, life-changing research, compassionate health care, and a strong commitment to faith and service.

Founded in 1818, the University fosters the intellectual and character development of nearly 14,000 students on two campuses in St. Louis, Missouri and Madrid, Spain. Building on a legacy of nearly 200 years, Saint Louis University continues to move forward with an unwavering commitment to a higher purpose, a greater good.

Camilo Rivera

This year, 25 weekly innovation challenges were held at McDonnell Douglas Hall. Students, staff and faculty were given an impromptu challenge and had one hour to compete. Whichever team completed the challenge successfully first won $300 ($100 per teammate). Challenges included building an aesthetic arch out of vegetables, setting a SMART goal for the United States, and building a flugtag, a homemade, human-powered flying machine.

“I felt challenged to give the best of me, trying to be creative and innovative,” said Rivera. “The biggest learning experience has been being able to recognize ways in which all of these challenges can be applied to our everyday problems.”

Emily Hart, an electrical engineering sophomore won the most innovation challenges in 2011-12. “While I do like math and science, I wanted my engineering experience to be more than just studying academics,” Hart said. “The weekly innovation challenges have been the perfect balance to schoolwork, they help me integrate innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship into engineering.” 

Additionally, participants are asked to submit a weekly reflection on the challenge, for which one winner is rewarded an additional $100. All SLU students and faculty can participate. Teams must consist of three members—including up to one faculty member—and all three participants must be from different majors. Students can either form teams prior to the event, or just arrive ten minutes early to have the facilitators match them with others in need of additional teammates.

The Kern Entrepreneurship Education Network (KEEN) and Coleman Foundation sponsor each weekly innovation challenge at Parks College. KEEN is a collaboration of 19 universities around the U.S. that strive to instill an entrepreneurial mindset in undergraduate engineering students. The Coleman Foundation is a private, independent grant maker focusing primarily on the Midwest. Foundation resources support education – with a strong emphasis on entrepreneurship.

Additional Resources

• Weekly Innovation Challenges
• Kern Entrepreneurship Education (KEEN) Network

Kendra Patton

The iScholars Excellence Award is given each semester to an iScholar who consistently displays teamwork, creativity and dedication in furthering the success of the iScholar program.

“The iScholars program has given me the confidence to pursue my engineering degree, Patton said. “I am grateful Dr. Condoor has put so much time into the iScholars program and seeing his passion makes me want to be a part of such a great experience.”

This summer, Patton will be an intern at the NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio. She will be assigned to the lunar rover in the power and propulsion center.

The iScholars program is a student-led initiative to promote the entrepreneurial mindset across Saint Louis University campus. iScholars are engaged in different roles and activities, such as community outreach, innovation leadership, creative thinking and design projects. Students who are involved have access to experts from the field for several hours each week as well as a tinker lab, which provides the tools needed to take their ideas to the next level.

The iScholars program is funded by the Kern Family Foundation’s Kern Entrepreneurship Education Network (KEEN). KEEN is a collaboration of 19 universities around the U.S. that strive to instill an entrepreneurial mindset in undergraduate engineering students.

Additional Resources

• iScholars Program
• Kern Entrepreneurship Education (KEEN) Network

Inspired by his son, Mr. Wessel developed a medical device for Game Boy to help kids with diabetes. He discussed the high and low points of his eight-year journey in creating this device.

“Paul Wessel was a genuine and engaging speaker,” said iScholar Emily Hart. “His unique style of presenting, that incorporated the story of his family life with his technical journey through the product design process, helped me realize that the path of innovation takes commitment, patience, and determination.”

Mr. Wessel has spent the past 28 years involved in different disciplines of industrial and healthcare automation. He has held different executive leadership roles in sales, marketing, and new product and intellectual property development within large and medium sized corporations. As an inventor and entrepreneur, Mr. Wessel has successfully built and sold several medical device companies.

SPICE, sponsored by KEEN and the Coleman Foundation, is a free ongoing speaker event to enhance the flavor of engineering education by bringing technology visionaries into direct contact with students and practitioners.

Additional Resources

• Speakers Pioneering Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship (SPICE)
• Kern Entrepreneurship Education (KEEN) Network

Parks College’s iScholars teamed up with engineering students from Gonzaga University for a Tinker Camp at Saint Louis University on April 12 – 14.

Led by Sridhar Condoor, Ph.D., students came together to take on four projects that included creating an indoor Zen garden for urban environment, developing a new, one-cup, easy to clean juicer, building a payload for a rocket, and developing an app for conferences.

“I had a great time and learned so much in such a short time span,” said Gonzaga University student McKenzie Horner. “I hope I get the opportunity to participate again in the future because this was definitely one of my favorite engineering experiences.”

After a welcome dinner and a trip to the City Museum Friday evening, students worked throughout the weekend to prepare for a presentation for local industry mentors. Mentors that shared their professional advice and insight came from a variety of industries including Fredsparks, SCORE, Lectro Engineering, ThoughtWare LLC, and DynaLab.

“The students came up with some great solutions to the problems presented,” said Fredsparks owner and designer Ken Harris. “I was especially impressed with their consideration of business models around their innovations. The students did a very nice job of keeping the end user in mind as well as considering how they would deliver the product or service in a marketable feasible fashion.”

Tinker Camp was sponsored by the Kern Entrepreneurship Education Network (KEEN). KEEN is a collaboration of 19 universities around the U.S. that strive to instill an entrepreneurial mindset in undergraduate engineering students. KEEN’s mission is to graduate engineers who will contribute to business success; and in doing so, transform the American workforce.

Additional Resources

• Learn more about the iScholars Program
• Kern Entrepreneurship Education Network

Parks College of Engineering, Aviation and Technology hosted the Region V Conference of The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) last week. Nearly 80 students from The U.S. Air Force Academy; University of Colorado Boulder; University of Colorado, Colorado Springs; University of Minnesota; and Missouri University of Science and Technology attended and presented papers at the conference. Throughout the two-day event, students presented a total of 21 papers.

Parks students, Justin Krofta, Phillip Reyes, James Dreas and Joseph Kirwen took third-place in the team category competition of the conference. Their project was based on building an atmospheric unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that will fly on the planet Uranus to collect data. Additionally, Parks student Ben Winokur was awarded the Distinguished Service Citation Award by the Region V AIAA Student Regional Advisory Committee.

The conference concluded with a banquet and Parks alum as the keynote speaker. Fernando Abilleira (BSAE 99, MSAE 01) is a mission design engineer and trajectory analyst with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Abilleira spoke about his experiences with the Mars Sciences Laboratory project and the successful mission to land Curiosity Rover on Martian soil.



The team is testing the hypothesis that large artery stiffness may cause hypertension (or high blood pressure), a significant and growing disease problem in the developed world. Gathering experimental data such as blood pressure, blood flow and material properties of the artery wall, the team is using mathematical models to predict the outcome of specific medical interventions.

Jessica Wagenseil, D.Sc.

“We are trying to determine if changes in arterial stiffness precede hypertension and if that process is reversible, as well as looking at specific treatments that may target this increase in arterial stiffening,” Wagenseil said.

Funded by the National Institutes of Health, the project is being completed in collaboration with Robert Mecham, Ph.D., at the Washington University School of Medicine.

Supplementing the research, one undergraduate student earned a fellowship from the American Heart Association to study the potential effect of existing anti-hypertensive medications on arterial stiffness and to evaluate more effective treatments for high blood pressure.

Another NIH-funded project led by Wagenseil targets two developmental diseases that cause a narrowing of the aorta, the body’s largest artery. The team is examining potential strategies to 4delay or prevent the narrowing by altering blood pressure or blood flow in specific regions of the aorta during development, rather than having it surgically corrected after it has already occurred.

Wagenseil’s students appreciate the opportunity to contribute to real-world research projects that have significant implications on the future of disease management.

“I am able to use information from my research in the classes that I teach. In biomechanics, there is a whole chapter on vascular mechanics and I discuss results from experiments in my lab that show how mechanics of the vessel wall affect the function of the cardiovascular system.,” she said. “The students like knowing a real world application of the material and of the relevance to improving human health.”

Additional Resources

• Learn more about the Biomedical Engineering program at Parks College