News & Events

Notable & Quotable

• Dr. Brandi Baldock and co-authors Dr. Anthony Fernandez, Dr. Jimmy Franco, Dr. Brian Provencher and Dr. Mark McCoy from Merrimack’s department of chemistry & biochemistry recently published an article in the Journal of Chemical Education entitled “Overcoming the Challenges of Remote Instruction: Using Mobile Technology to Promote Active Learning.” 

• Rickey Caldwell, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, interviewed with Zippia.com about engineering job market trends. He offered tips on where to find work for new engineers, the impact of the pandemic and how technology will impact the field over the next five years.

• Mechanical Engineering Department assistant professors Anthony Di Carlo and Rickey Caldwell Jr., and former student Courtney Videchak ’19, have co-authored the paper, “Optimization of Spatially Distributed Soil Conductivities for Horizontal Ground Heat Exchanger” which has been accepted by the journal Applied Thermal Engineering.

• Assistant professor of mechanical engineering Roselita Fragoudakis recently had a paper published in the International Journal of Structures Integrity and has a chapter to be published in the upcoming book “Engineering Failure Analysis.”

• The Boston Society of Civil Engineers Section (BSCES) honored associate professor of civil engineering James Kaklamanos with the College Education Award recognizing his exceptional teaching and mentorship. The BSCES also named professor emeritus David “Doc” Westerling recipient of the Horne/Gaynor Award for his philanthropic activities in the public interest.

• Jim Kaklamanos, associate professor of civil engineering and Zampell Family Faculty Fellow, was recently recognized with the Distinguished Service Award from the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at Tufts University, where he earned his Ph.D., M.S. and B.S.C.E. The Distinguished Service Award is presented to an alumnus or member of the Tufts CEE community who exemplifies service to their profession and the department.

• Janine LeBlanc-Straceski, associate professor and chair of biology, published a paper, “A Conserved Role of the Unconventional Myosin 1d in Laterality Determination,” in the March 2018 issue of Current Biology. The paper was an international collaboration with colleagues in Germany and France and the culmination of many years of work with LeBlanc-Straceski’s students.

• Jim Kaklamanos, assistant professor of civil engineering, was named recipient of a 2017 ExCEED New Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award by the American Society of Civil Engineers. Kaklamanos was cited for his outstanding teaching record as a new faculty member, contributions to the academic and surrounding community and proven commitment to education. He will be recognized at the society’s annual conference in Columbus, Ohio, on June 27.

• Cynthia Carlson, assistant professor of civil engineering, was first author on a paper, “Storm-Water Management as a Public Good Provision Problem: Survey to Understand Perspectives of Low-Impact Development for Urban Storm Water Management Practices Under Climate Change,” that won Best Policy-Oriented Paper of 2016 from the Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management, published by the American Society of Civil Engineers. The paper explored how storm water could be thought of as a “public good” and be managed better.

• Five faculty members were awarded tenure in January by President Christopher E. Hopey. They are: Jimmy Franco, assistant professor of chemistry; Brittnie Aiello, assistant professor of criminology; Sally Shockro, assistant professor of history; Susan Marine, associate professor and program director in the higher education master’s program; and Sirkwoo Jin, assistant professor of management.