U of M: Department of Mechanical Engineering: Events: ME News ONline

ME News Online

ME News Fall 2008
From the Department Head, Uwe Kortshagen

Energy, Environment, Human Health, and Transportation are highlighted by the National Academy of Engineering as among the Grand Challenges of the 21st century. Addressing these challenges require that we all fundamentally rethink the ways in which we produce and utilize energy, how to improve our stewardship of the environment, and reach across disciplines to create new medical tools and diagnostics. With the increasing awareness of the severity of these grand challenges among policy makers and the broader public, Mechanical Engineering has once again taken the center stage as a core engineering discipline that is playing a central role in addressing these fundamental problems. More...

Co-op Program Grows UP

Co-op Coordinator, Ashly Spevacek, Professor Virgil Marple, and Teaching Specialist, Barbara Evan

The Engineering Co-op program has connected hundreds of students with companies for over fifty years. Not a placement service, The Co-op is a unique opportunity for students to get hands-on experience and make money, while getting their education. “It was the best job I ever had,” said Professor Virgil Marple, who has headed the program since 1984. More...

Research Highlights: Transportation Research: A Legacy Continued
Interview with Max Donath

Professor James Ryan is well remembered for his, literally, ground-breaking work – dropping cars from a crane on the back lot of Mechanical Engineering in the 1950’s. James “Crash” Ryan was a pioneer who not only developed the retractable seat belt and the event data recorder, commonly known as the “black box,” but also made significant contributions to the crashworthiness of the automobile. Today, Professor Max Donath heads a team of professional researchers that are creating new technologies with the goal of lowering road fatalities. More...

Alumni Spotlight: Leroy "Mike" Fingerson

In addition to the interview, excerpts from a booklet written by Mike Fingerson called TSI, The First Chapters, were used with permission.

Leroy “Mike” Fingerson is a very tall, lean man, with Scandinavian reserve, and a genuine warmth. We met at his home in Arden Hills to talk about his long and fruitful career with the company he helped to found, TSI, Inc. “TSI had a lot of relationships with the Mechanical Engineering Department. Besides the fact that I graduated from the department, we licensed products, some of which were very successful.” Today, TSI has over 500 employees and offices in Europe and Asia. One of its products was used to measure the air quality in Bejing during the recent Olympic Games. The story of this company begins with Fingerson. More...