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Applause

Heck, McCullough Named Distinguished Teachers

Fred Heck

Robert McCullough

    The Academic Senate's Distinguished Teacher Award Committee has chosen two College of Arts and Sciences faculty to receive the University's 2004-2005 Distinguished Teacher Awards. The honorees are Fred Heck, professor of geology, and Robert McCullough, professor of mathematics.
    Criteria for nomination and selection are teaching excellence, participation in professional development activities, interest in students outside the classroom and exhibiting distinction as a member of the University community.
    Heck has been a Ferris faculty member since 1988 and is the resident geologist at the University. He is an advisor for the Pre-Pharmacy program and teaches non-geology majors about Earth's wonders through courses in physical and historical geology, hydrogeology and earth systems science. He has led students on two-week geology field trips to the Canyon Country of the southwest United States, the northern Rocky Mountains, Michigan's Upper Peninsula and to Martinique.
    Heck, who received his doctorate in structural geology from Northwestern University, developed a new Integrated Science Teaching major in 2003.
    McCullough, who holds bachelor's and master's degrees from Michigan State University, joined the Ferris faculty in 1981. He teaches algebra, trigonometry, calculus, operations research, discrete structures and numerous computer science classes. His special interest lies in the mathematics needed for space exploration. As a regional resource person for the National Air and Space Museum, he has given more than 100 presentations on space exploration.
    His textbook, Mathematics for Data Processing, is now in its third edition. He has also written and presented several papers on the mathematics used by the Wright Brothers to prove that flight was possible.

Ferris Dedicates Fenn Digital Photogrammetry and GIS Lab

(L-R) President David Eisler along with Lynda and John Fenn celebrated the dedication of the Fenn Digital Photogrammetry and GIS Lab.

    A leading surveying professional's respect for the Ferris Surveying Engineering program has resulted in a new state-of-the-art academic laboratory.
    Last spring the University held dedication ceremonies for the John R. and Lynda D. Fenn Digital Photogrammetry and GIS Endowed Laboratory in the Swan Technical Arts Building.
    The lab is equipped with 15 stations designed to serve the needs of students in digital photogrammetry and Geographic Information Systems, according to Sayed Hashimi, department chair and professor of Surveying Engineering. "Each station is loaded with state-of-the-art Leica Photogrammetry Suite and Leica High Definition Surveying systems, all courtesy of Leica Geosystems, and ESRI's ArcGIS 9.0 software. These truly revolutionary technologies in our classrooms give our students a very distinctive advantage," said Hashimi.
    John is president of Fenn and Associates Surveying, Inc., in Shelby Township, a firm he founded in 1978. The Michigan Society of Professional Surveyors named him surveyor of the Year in 1998, and in 2003 he served as president of the National Society of Professional Surveyors.
    He and his wife, Lynda, became aware of Ferris' SE program after Hashimi invited John to join the program's advisory board. Shortly thereafter, his firm established $1,500-a-year scholarship program. That all changed when Lynda attended an MSPS meeting.
    "My wife was talking with (professor Khagendra) Thapa, who mentioned the scholarships," recalled John. "Lynda asked how much, and he told her $1,500. She turned to me and said, 'Kinda cheap, aren't ya?'" John increased his scholarship gift to $2,500, and Lynda took a more active role by supporting an annual student auction fundraiser. As the relationship blossomed, the Fenns wanted to do more ­ hence, the new laboratory.
    "It's a way to touch all the students in the program, because every surveying student will pass through that lab and benefit from it," said John. "I don't believe there's a school in the nation that can surpass Ferris in teaching surveying."
    During the dedication ceremony, Fenn challenged industry professionals to contribute to the program, stating that he would match the gifts up to $10,000 for the next year. Further information or gift forms for the John R. and Lynda D. Fenn Digital Photogrammetry and GIS Laboratory Endowment Fund are available by contacting Debra Jacks, director of planned giving, at 231-591-3817 or jacksd@ferris.edu.

Hurley Named Woman of the Year

Jana Hurley received the FPW's Woman of the Year award.

    Ferris Professional Women honored Jana Hurley, dean of student life and director of housing, with its 2005 Woman of the Year. She received the honor at the FPW's annual luncheon last spring.
    A Ferris administrator since 1994, FPW cited Hurley for encouraging those women students who have been abused or assaulted to confront their fears and stand up for their rights.
    Hurley is an especially effective role model for female students. A tireless worker and mentor to many hall directors and resident advisors, she goes "above and beyond" in her support of students and colleagues. She serves as an advisor to the Habitat for Humanity student organization and also advises the finance division of Ferris Student Government, which oversees the distribution of Student Activity Funds.
    "I'm incredibly honored to have been selected," said Hurley. "There are so many fine professional women at Ferris, many of whom are balancing the roles of family with their careers, so to be singled out for the honor really left me speechless."
    Hurley is presently working on her doctorate in educational leadership, demonstrating to young women that they can excel in a demanding professional position and still engage in professional development.

Ferris' Goldberg Machine Places in National Competition

(L-R) Students Steve Bar and Chris McKay make last-minute adjustments during the 2005 Rube Goldberg Machine Contest.

    Do the Bulldogs have a rivalry brewing with the Boilermakers? For the second year in a row, a team of students from Ferris came in second behind host Purdue in the annual Rube Goldberg Machine Contest. The event is inspired by the cartoonist Rube Goldberg, who made his name drawing elaborate and outrageous devices to perform routine tasks.
    Each year the teams face a new challenge. The task for the 2005 machine was to "change two batteries in a flashlight and turn it on," which required the machine to perform at least 20 different steps. Ferris' College of Technology's machine performed the task in more than 56 steps. The Ferris team chose a country carnival theme, with a Ferris wheel, log slide, merry-go-round, swing, roller coaster and more. While performing the task, the machine told the story of a manager coming to work and checking each ride before he turns on the spotlight and opens the carnival.
    Since 1986 the Purdue chapter of the Theta Tau engineering fraternity has hosted the competition's national finals. Argonne National Laboratory sponsors a companion program for high school students.
    The Boilermakers scored their third consecutive win last April in the Purdue Armory at their West Lafayette, Ind., campus, with a machine that used 125 steps, including launching a toy rocket and rotating an auger. A team from the University of Texas at Austin placed third behind the Bulldogs. Other universities represented by teams were the University of Arizona, University of Michigan, Michigan State University and University of Toledo.
    "We would have liked to have won, but Purdue did a great job," said Tom Hollen, assistant professor of Mechanical Engineering Technology. "It might be the first time in history, though, that Ferris has beaten Michigan and Michigan State on the same day."
    Teams have three tries to have their machines successfully complete the task twice. Teams lose points if they manually assist their machine during a run. Judges score the student-built machines on completion of the task, creativity, the number of steps involved and how well they embrace the Rube Goldberg spirit, as well as the creative and thematic use of materials.