MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT WINTER 2000 UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON

A newsletter for alumni, students, and friends of the Mechanical Engineering Department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison

Three Assistant Professors Join ME Faculty

Elizabeth T. Smith (20K JPG)

Both Elizabeth Smith and Joel Hetrick have joined the ME department as assistant professors after finishing their PhD's at the University of Michigan last summer, and Yuling Yan is a visiting assistant professor from the University of Ryukus via Nagoya University in Japan.

Joel A. Hetrick (20K JPG)

Smith's dissertation focused on using the acoustic signals generated during laser welding to monitor weld quality. She does research in laser welding and machining and is teaching ME 313, Manufacturing Processes this semester. Her husband, Joel Hetrick, does his research in design of compliant mechanisms. His doctoral thesis was entitled "Dimensional Synthesis of Compliant Mechanisms." He will teach ME 342: Design of Machine Elements.

Yuling Yan, a native of China, focuses her research on robotics and mechatronics and is teaching ME 240: Dynamics and ME 446: Automatic Controls. She received her BS and MS degrees from Nanjing Institute of Technology in Nanjing, China, and her PhD from Keio University in Japan.

Yuling Yan (16K JPG)

WINTER 2000 Contents