First Engineering grads accepted to Harvard, Vandy grad schools

 | 07/12/2002

Lipscomb University may be opening its new Raymond B. Jones School of Engineering this fall, but the new engineering majors graduated their first two students in May. Petr Jordan, of the Czech Republic, earned the first degree in computer engineering. Mark Adams, of Melber, Ky., earned the first engineering mechanics degree. But the real excitement has been generated by the opportunities facing the two graduates. Jordan has been accepted to Harvard University's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, where he will pursue a Ph.D. in electrical engineering. His all-expenses-paid enrollment in Harvard has been deferred a year, however, to allow Jordan to pursue additional research with Lipscomb's Dr. Alan Bradshaw. Adams has been awarded a research assistantship for the graduate program in mechanical engineering at Vanderbilt University, where he plans to pursue a master's degree in mechanical engineering. His award also includes full tuition and living expenses. "I think this demonstrates that we have already planned a strong program, and we expect this to continue," said Ralph Butler, chair of the Department of Physics and Engineering and acting chair of the Department of Computing and Information Systems. "It shows the strength of our faculty and the depth of planning that has gone into originating this program. Obviously both of these are very good students, and this shows we've done a good job of getting them ready to go into these areas," Butler said. Graduating the two students allows the program to proceed with the process of obtaining professional accreditation by the Accrediting Board for Engineering and Technology, which will begin with a self-study later this year. Jordan has been working with Lipscomb's Dr. L. Alan Bradshaw in biophysics research at Vanderbilt University. "Petr proved himself adept in all aspects of our research program. He not only helped to improve our data acquisition and analysis system, but also participated in experiments, even to the conclusion of authoring a manuscript to be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal," Bradshaw said. Bradshaw and his collaborators have been researching ways to diagnose stomach disorders non-invasively by analyzing disruptions in the stomach's magnetic field. Jordan's senior project was to design an active-feedback noise cancellation system that would allow recording of biomagnetic signals in unshielded environments. "This technology will substantially advance our research program, as it will allow us to move our measurements from the laboratory's magnetically shielded room into the clinical environment where we can study critically ill patients. Petr has excelled in all aspects of this design project," Bradshaw said. After another year of research under Bradshaw's direction, Jordan will enroll at Harvard. Because of the close relationship between Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Jordan will be permitted to take classes and participate in research at either location, and will continue to pursue medical research, Jordan said. Adams will work with a robotics research group in motion-sensitive responses and robotic power sources at Vanderbilt, Butler said. "While at Lipscomb, Mark built an exemplary academic record. His senior project in engineering mechanics involved the design and construction of a wind tunnel that will be used as a laboratory instruction tool for several classes," Butler said. Jordan said he stayed at Lipscomb instead of transferring to another school when it became clear that the university would begin its degree program in engineering. "Looking back, it was one of the wisest decisions I've ever made. I was given one-on-one attention in many of my classes with highly qualified scientists ... I am convinced that I would not gain this much during a single year at any other institution. "During my senior year, I kept wondering if top graduate programs will recognize Lipscomb's engineering degree as an adequate preparation for their own graduate programs. I do not have these doubts anymore, as I've been admitted to graduate programs in electrical engineering at Harvard, MIT, Stanford and Vanderbilt," Jordan said. For full information about the engineering program at Lipscomb, contact Butler at ralph.butler [at] lipscomb.edu or call 615.279.5718 or 800.333.4358, ext. 5718.