Undergraduate Program

Project Engineer for Carter and Sloope Inc., a civil engineering consulting firm in Macon Georgia
Job responsibilities include: eesigning water treatment systems; Deeveloping and monitoring of solid waste facilities; management of storm water and water transfers; solving problems in natural resources.

Process Engineer for Merial, a leading global Animal Pharmaceuticals Manufacturer
Job responsibilities include: monitoring control systems for biochemical processes; conduct inspections to insure product quality and worker safety.

Manufacturing Engineer for Reliance Electric Co.
Job responsibilities include: supervising the manufacturing process of small electrical motors; redesign of manufacturing processes; scheduling and supervision of assembly line operations; quality control of production processes.

Engineer for McNaughton-McKay Electric Company, distributor of electrical products
Job responsibilities include: design of automated systems; field installation of manufactured products; oversight of customized products.

Structural Engineer for Winfrey Architectural Concrete Inc., a company in Erie, Colorado that manufactures concrete products.
Job responsibilities include: eesigning customized concrete products including architectural cladding and wall panels; supervising drafting and engineering department; quality control of production processes.

Systems Engineer for Georgia Power Energy Services
Job responsibilities include: monitor and control transmission and distribution system; development and operational evaluation of power system; management of human, physical, and energy resources.

Director of Donor Center Operations for Serologicals Inc., a global provider of biological products
Job responsibilities include: oversight of global regulatory compliance and quality programs; maintain all aspects of daily center functions and storage equipment and facilities; operation and maintenance of donor tissue.

Civil Engineer for Federal Aviation Administration
Job responsibilities include: designing FAA facilities such as air traffic control towers; supervision of construction; installation of radar/surveillance systems.

Environmental Engineer for J.W. Salm Engineering
Job responsibilities include: solving problems in natural resources conservation and production; designing storm water management systems; ground water monitoring and soil borings; construct vegetated wetland for municipal wastewater treatment.

The fundamental philosophy of Engineering at UGA is to expose students to topics from several engineering disciplines before they select their upper division course work. This design gives the students an appreciation of the many career paths take by professional engineers and produces graduates who are qualified to take advantage of employment opportunities related to civil, mechanical, electrical, biomedical, environmental, biochemical, agricultural and process engineering. By focusing on the fundamentals of engineering as well as the natural sciences and humanities, the UGA graduate is well prepared for the engineering profession, a global job market and a wide range of careers.

This approach to an engineering education is enhanced by the nature of the department responsible for UGA's engineering instruction program. This department is comprised of a faculty with expertise in over 12 engineering disciplines including aeronautical engineering, biomedical engineering, chemical engineering, computer systems engineering, civil engineering, electrical engineering, environmental engineering and mechanical engineering. Engineering students also have opportunities to participate in innovative interdisciplinary research programs through the University's Institute of the Faculty of Engineering.

The goals of one of UGA's engineering program, currently named Bachelor of Science in Biological Engineering, are to provide a fundamental understanding of biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics and engineering and to apply this understanding to design devices and processes related to biosystems. Graduates have an excellent understanding of the complementary aspects of biology and engineering and work as professionals capable of implementing new ideas and technologies in complex biologically based industries. This degree program allows students to choose from three engineering areas of emphasis: biomedical, biochemical and environmental.

The overall goals of UGA's other engineering programs are to provide a fundamental understanding of the natural, mathematical and engineering sciences and then to apply this understanding to design devices and processes in any general area. Graduates from this program are qualified to take advantage of employment opportunities related to civil, mechanical, electrical, agricultural and process engineering. This program is currently named Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Engineering, and students enrolled in this program may choose from five engineering areas of emphasis: mechanical systems, electrical/electronic systems, structural systems, natural resource management and process operations.

"My experiences in engineering at UGA allowed me to explore my interest in alternative technologies, such as alternative wastewater treatment systems. I finished with a degree marketable in the engineering field but augmented by unique experiences."
- Jessica Peterson (class of '00), Environmental Engineer with J.W. Salm Engineering.

"The general engineering approach, the real diverse and variety of courses that we were able to take reallyprepared me to be a very good practical practicing engineer when I got out of college."
Barney Beasley, Vice President, Southern Company

"UGA provides a diverse engineering curriculum with a population of gifted, well-rounded students. This department has avoided the stigma that is often associated with engineering by recruiting students from different backgrounds to participate in this program."
Trey Gavin (class of '99), Project Engineer for Carter and Sloope Inc. a civil engineering firm in Macon, Georgia. "A UGA engineering degree gave me a broad set of skills to use within the workforce. It has given me the opportunity to apply for jobs in engineering and biotechnology."
Michelle Whittaker (class of '03), research fellow at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention

"Employers look for experience, management skills, and common sense when looking for a new hire. UGA Engineering gave me a broad range of experience that I can use everyday."
Scott Leg (class of '96), engineer with Maida Engineering where he was responsible for the design of control systems.

"Engineering at UGA exposed me to endless options for my career path. Through the co-op work program, I was able to build a relationship with the company I've been employed with for the last three years. I'm also designing a self-sustaining vacation home in Alaska's remote wilderness."
Tanya Kinnard (class of '01), engineer for ARCADIS

"UGA has the best of both worlds. You have the small university feel in the engineering department with the benefits of a large university. UGA engineering offers a solid foundation enabling graduates to be successful in many engineering positions. My faculty advisor worked with me to make sure that I took the necessary courses while allowing me to incorporate classes that were of interest to me."
Kristina West (class of '03) "The student body of UGA Engineering is unique. There is a strong bond among students and a desire to look out for each other. The overall attitude seems to convey that we're all in this together and let's help each other get through this. The students promote activity within the department and help you find something to be involved with that is not strictly academic but is strictly engineering."
Chris Miller (class of '03), project engineer for Brewer & Dudley, LLC.

"Having completed engineering at the University of Georgia has definitely helped a great deal in prosthetic school. Prosthetics is a field that revolves around the prosthetic's ability to design the socket (so that it remains suspended securely to the residual limb) and align the prosthesis to minimize energy expenditure and allow for smooth gait. Many students from other universities seem to struggle with conceptualizing gait deviations and their causes. I feel like having a strong background from UGA in areas such as strength of materials, statics, dynamics, and biomechanics, has made socket design and conceptualizing and solving gait problems easy."
William Fletcher (class of '03), Orthotic and Prosthetic Post-graduate Studies student at the University of Connecticut

"The main advantage of belonging to UGA engineering is the small size of the department, allowing students to interact and become close to their professors. My faculty advisor was a tremendous help throughout my college career. He helped to make sure that I did not overload myself, but at the same time reach my goal of graduating within a certain time frame."
Chad Scarbor (class of '03)

"The engineering faculty is on a much more personal level with their students and this makes for a good learning environment. Also, the engineering experience at a liberal arts setting is much different than what a traditional engineering school offers."
Delia Sanchez, biological engineering major

"One of the best things about UGA engineering is that you can really take advantage of its smaller size. It is really easy to interact with the faculty, and there are much more opportunities to get involved than in larger programs where you may just be another number. Also, while taking advantage of this, you can still reap the benefits and opportunities that come from attending a University with more than 30,000 undergraduates."
Dustin Dyer, engineering major and UGA Honors student

"You get more of a diverse experience than you would get at certain schools where the main focus is engineering, and therefore the opportunity to explore other areas with electives rather than just getting engineering courses. Plus, the friends that you make will all have hugely different majors, different interests, and different knowledge, and being in the minority helps make you aware of others."
Amanda McMahan, engineering major

An engineer is a professional who solves problems by applying knowledge from the sciences, from the arts, from politics, and from economics and is a professional who makes a difference by inventing things to improve our quality of life.

A few examples of what UGA engineers are doing:
   using knowledge from ecology to remediate the adverse impact of pollution on the environment
   using knowledge from microbiology and biochemistry to help develop new drugs
   using knowledge from biology to design new medical devices
   using knowledge from physics to design computer-controlled manufacturing systems and other electromechanical devices
   using knowledge from the computational sciences to better integrate software and hardware in computers
   using knowledge from physics to design buildings as well as the environment within buildings

The basic engineering curriculum is comprised of:
   * A general education component that provides an understanding and appreciation of the basic sciences, social sciences, humanities and the arts;
   * A mathematics component that provides quantitative skills needed to measure, estimate, model and simulate;
   * An engineering science component that provides skills needed to integrate scientific knowledge with engineering applications; and
   * An engineering design component that provides knowledge of the systematic process for creating new devices, systems, and structures for human use.

The basic engineering curriculum concludes with a major senior project that integrates the breadth of the curriculum and requires the student to design a useful product under the constraints typical of private practice.

The University of Georgia Engineering Program offers its students an opportunity to integrate academic instruction and real-life applications through a cooperative plan of education. Usually beginning after the freshman year, the plan allows for alternating semesters of full-time, off-campus professional work experience in designated industries, agencies and laboratories arranged by the Engineering Cooperative Coordinator. The student is considered by the University to be in an uninterrupted program of study since the student is enrolled for academic credit while on work-experience semesters. While co-op placement does not imply permanent employment of the student upon graduation, it does provide an extended period for mutual evaluation by the student and the cooperating industry, enhancing the possibility of permanent employment.

At the University of Georgia, the Honors Program and the Engineering Academic Office are working together to provide the best of both worlds in engineering education. Through the engineering degrees, students can obtain top level instruction in a variety of engineering specializations, and still take advantage of the resources of a major Research University. Both the classroom and extra-curricular opportunities at UGA provide a breadth and depth rarely found at a single institution.For students with wide-ranging interests, this opportunity may be the best of both worlds -- top notch science and engineering with the best in a wide variety of liberal arts disciplines. UGA students have access to state-of-the-art labs, Pulitzer Prize winning authors, internationally recognized scholars and diplomats, as well as outstanding concerts and performing arts presentations. The University of Georgia, and especially the Honors Program, provides a challenging and eclectic peer group of college students. For students who are looking for a broad undergraduate education before embarking on a career or on graduate study in engineering, UGA can provide the wide range of educational opportunities they seek.

Many of the core classes have Honors sections which provide superior preparation for upper division engineering courses. In addition, the Honors Program provides core courses in the humanities and social sciences to round out the students core curriculum. When students begin taking upper division engineering courses they may contract with the professor to do an extra project or paper that will allow them to pursue their course work in greater depth than the rest of the class. The required Senior Design Project is a natural for Honors Research and Thesis credit.

Engineering Core Curriculum courses may be taken as either regular core classes or as Honors classes. The science core obviously takes priority for engineering students, and most of these courses are completed in the first two years. The humanities and social science core classes may be taken at any time during a student's four years, except for English composition, which should be completed in the first two years.

For more information about UGA's Honors Program, go to www.uga.edu/honors/

Functional Prosthetic Hand Providing Independent Movement of All Fingers
The objective of this project was to design a prosthetic hand which is both cosmetic and functional. The hand had to have the ability to perform everyday tasks such as picking up and holding a glass of liquid. Overall, the final design had to be superior to current designs that use mechanical system powered by shoulder or arm or electrically powered using electrical impulses from the residual limb to trigger sensors. The final solution to this problem included a prosthetic hand with all five fingers moving independently and was capable of grasping irregularly shaped objects. A prototype of the design was made in order to exam and to evaluate the functionality of the prosthetic. A final prototype for human use was not made.

Accessible Syringe Dosing
A reliable, low-cost, easy-to-use mechanism for enabling automated dosing of medications, that meets the needs of clients whose needs will be provided. It must be able to dose reliably to the nearest 0.01 cc [using standard 1 cc syringes (1/4 inches in diameter) that are common for delivery of insulin, heparin], be able to gently mix before dosing, and be universally easy to use.

Water Management System for a local watershed
Storm water runoff within a watershed located on the UGA campus has resulted in excessive flooding and compromised ecological integrity. With a significant percentage of the watershed comprised of impervious surface material, alternatives to storm water routing are needed for rehabilitating the hydrologic regime and minimizing the volume of water lost from the watershed resulting from storm water routing. The objective of this project is to design a water management system for a specified area of the watershed (to be determined by UGA Facilities personnel) that will eliminate the contribution of that area's runoff into stream. One student team developed a runoff filtering system to be built beneath a major university street. Water from the street drains would enter this filtering system and disperse slowly underground to stream. Second student teams developed a rain fall capturing system to store and slowly disperse runoff from university buildings. A third student team developed containment ponds that would provide water for gardens and wetland areas for student recreation and relaxation.

Tool Drop Test Device
The Makita Corporation ships thousands of tools from their plants every year. To ensure that these tools arrive at their destination working as well as intended they perform drop tests on units to determine how well they stand-up under shipping. Boxes of all different sizes and shapes are tested and are dropped from free fall heights ranging from 1 to 6 feet above ground. These boxes are dropped onto both their flat sides and also their corners to determine what if any damage occurs to the tool. The objectives of this project were to design an impact test process to simulate the force and energy of a 1 to 6 feet free fall of an object weighing between 5 and 100 pounds. The test process was designed to have a maximum cycle time of 3 minutes and follow the ASTM D5276-98 positioning sequence stand. The device could be operated remotely by one person, have a maximum footprint of 5 feet by 5 feet, cost less than $2000 and was to be constructed out of readily available materials. The device utilizes a spring-loaded double trap door design. Air cylinders are used to retract 2 hinged rods which support the trap doors to provide the release mechanism. Electric motors drive 2 axles and cable system to raise the frame. A rubber fingered plate can be lowered onto the object to hold it in position and allow packages to be dropped at any angle. The mobile frame rides in four channeled posts. Working drawing was made of the package drop device using Pro-E software. This project was done in cooperation with the Makita Tool Corporation.

Performance Characteristics of DC Power Tools
When comparing the performance characteristics of different types and brands of cordless DC power tools, repeatability of test results may suffer because of the influences of the operator. In practical testing of DC drills, the force applied is decreased toward the completion of the boring process. This force will vary from operator to operator. The objectives of this project were to design and build a test station, which would emulate the practical testing of DC power tools while assessing multiple parameters. Critical areas of design were identified as: mounting of drill and sensors, drill press and pneumatics, movement of wood and computer control and automation. A prototype test station was constructed. The test station is 100% automated during operation and can record current, voltage, RPM, force, duration, temperature and number of operations of the DC power tool being tested. The test station accommodates various products and provides a consistent driving force to the tool. The drill press operation of the test stand was accomplished using a pneumatic system consisting of a solenoid valve, electro-pneumatic transducer cylinder and receiver. The electro-pneumatic transducer controlled the pressure in the cylinder to achieve the desired driving force needed on the drill. The test station allows for material handling and movement using a motor and drive train system which were connected to a series of screw drive systems which allows wood movement in both the x and y direction. LabVIEW was utilized to control the three main parts of operations of the test station: operating system, controls and data acquisition. LabVIEW was chosen to configure the operating system because of the simplicity of designing a user interface that was easy to understand and operate. The estimated cost of the test station was $6,000. This project was done in cooperation with the Makita Tool Corporation.

Design of a Job Site Stand for a Makita Table Saw
Makita Tool Corporation currently markets the 2702 and 2703 table saws, which are used for job site construction projects. These saws are very portable and used primarily for residential construction and remodeling. Currently, this product can be mounted on a saw stand, which Makita sells as an option. Makita would like to improve the design of their stand. The objective of this project was to design a portable job site stand for the Makita 2702 and 2703 table saws that costs less than $25 to manufacture, is portable, structurally sound and easy to assemble. This design was performed using ISO9000 design standards and took into account the needs and desires of the customer. The new design utilized many parts currently used on the Makita saw stand. However, design improvements were made which allow quick attachment and detachment of the saw from the stand. Making the saw easily removable from the stand decreased the weight and awkwardness of lifting and transporting the saw and stand together. The saw stand can also be folded for easy portability and storage when it is not being used. The stand collapses using a series of slide mechanisms with locking knobs. The saw has fewer fasteners than the current stand. A simple assembly instruction manual was developed along with shipping instructions. With the exception of one member, the new stand can be shipped in a manner similar to the current stand. A prototype saw stand was built and field-tested with a suggested list of design modifications. Based on projected manufacturing costs supplied by Makita the new saw stand can be manufactured for the target price of $25. This project was done in cooperation with the Makita Tool Corporation.

Design of a Demand Controlled Ventilation (DCV) system for UGA classrooms
This project investigated the potential for energy savings and indoor air quality improvements using DCV for two large classrooms on the UGA campus. The project required the development of a model that would predict the CO2 levels based on number of people in each room and the outdoor air ventilation rate. CO2 levels are used as a surrogate for indicating sufficient ventilation. The current HVAC systems bring in a fixed amount of outdoor air that does not provide adequate ventilation when the rooms are fully occupied, but also consumes energy to condition outdoor air when the rooms are unoccupied. A study was run comparing the energy consumed to condition outdoor air and the resulting CO2 levels for the existing HVAC systems, a control concept that adjusted outdoor air based on the time of day, and the systems modified to include DCV. The project also considered the mechanical and electrical control changes that would be necessary to implement DCV in each room; one room was not well suited to a retrofit since it still has an older, pneumatic control system. The analysis indicated that approximately $600 per year in energy cost savings are possible with DCV in one room, and that overall indoor air quality would be improved in both rooms. Changing to a DCV system would result in a three year or less economic payback for the room where DCV would be feasible.

Alternative Energy Sources for Milk Cooling Plants
Until very recently, the Dairy Corporation of Uganda (DCU) was a parastal body with the countrywide monopoly for collecting, processing and marketing milk. Because the average dairy farmer in Uganda is not large enough to afford a milk cooling facility, DCU established milk-cooling plants in close proximity to groups of farms all over the country. Milk from individual farms is transported to these plants and cooled before being transported to the only processing plant in the capital of Kampala. As a result of the Uganda Government's macro-economic policy on liberalization, DCU has been restructured into a commercial company. According to the new management, their single largest expenditure is represented by energy consumed by the milk cooling plants. Diesel generators (15 - 250 kVA) power most cooling systems. To be competitive in a deregulated environment, without the near monopoly DCU enjoyed over the years, energy costs have to be contained. DCU management is interested in exploring use of alternative energy sources for their cooling plants (approximately 200). Students designed a bio-reactor to solve this problem. During spring break, these students traveled to Uganda, presented a proposed solution to the Ministry of Energy and visited with farmers who would use the system. The proposal was selected and a final design developed. During the summer semester, a prototype of the system was built and tested.

Catheter Impregnation Process Automation
Horizon Medical Products (HMP) enlisted three engineering students to design a mechanism to automate a part of HMPs production of antimicrobial impregnated catherters. Tehse short-term central venous catheters (CVCs) are expected to provide antimicrobial protection against bloodstream infection for a period significantly longer than existing competitive products. HMP has an established process involving mixing of components to form an antimicrobial solution, dipping of the catheter tubing within the antimicrobial solution and cleaning of the catheters following immersion in the solution. Through thorough definition of the problem and conceptual development, the design team developed a final solution that focused on both the mixing and dipping processes named above. The design includes physically separated mixing and dipping processes, integrated UV spectrophotometric probes for sampling purposes, a telescopic pole mechanism and automated parallel grippers for catheter restraint, among other elements.

Catheter Shear
The project would involve researching a product failure mode or complication called catheter shear and developing design solutions, possibly a more shear resistant catheter. Catheter shear is a potential end result to catheter pinch-off. Pinch-Off refers to the catheter being pinched between the clavicle and first rib preventing the flow of fluids (particularly the drawing of blood) and can eventually lead to catheter shear, which results in the complete breakage of the catheter. Both catheter pinch-off and catheter shear can cause serious complications for the patient. The problems are most likely caused by the physician's port placement technique. When the catheter is inserted into the subclavian vein too medial, the catheter can travel between the clavicle and the first rib. If this occurs, the rib and the clavicle compress and essentially grind the catheter during normal exercise or movement leading eventually to catheter failure.

Classroom learning is just one part of the process students will go through in order to achieve their Bachelor's degree. Experiences outside of the classroom are just as important to the overall understanding of the engineering field. It is for this reason that engineering students have the opportunity to join clubs in their emphasis areas, many of which have special industry-related guest speakers. Many of these clubs also attend academic and industry-related conferences. It is in these ways that the department at UGA provides specialized educational experiences to take learning out of the lecture hall and lab and into the professional world.