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The Instructional Team
The Instructional Team
Professor Solomon Diamond started teaching ENGS 146 in the spring term of 2008 soon after joining the faculty at Dartmouth College. The course topic already combined his love of computers, mechanics, engineering and design but he felt that it needed something more, something wild, adventurous and crazy that would spark the imaginations of students and spectators alike. So over the years ENGS 146 has evolved in to a class where student teams design and build crazy machines like wiggle cars, diwheels, mechanical beasts, and this year 3D printable mechanical clocks inspired by the marine chronometer. Professor Diamond also enjoys teaching the engineering capstone course ENGS 89/90, directing the Cook Engineering Design Center, conducting research in cancer-nanotechnology and biomedical imaging, and entrepreneurship.
https://engineering.dartmouth.edu/people/faculty/solomon-diamond/
Myles Duncanson is a Technical Instructor whose background is in rapid prototype design and manufacture, 3D printing, and mechanical engineering. Myles enjoys the diversity of projects he is able to help student groups with, and gets particularly excited when he gets to work with students on projects which involve some of his passions of 3D printing and rapid prototyping such as the challenge put forth by ENGS 146 this term. Myles aided and advised teams not only on their mechanical design, but also shared with the students some of the nuances and challenges of designing parts for 3D printing. He also helped to generate and organize content for the website, and aided with layout and formatting of the site.
"I was really thrilled we got to do what initially seemed like a crazy idea, and by shipping each student their own 3D printer I think it really demonstrates Dartmouth's commitment to keeping the quality of education that makes them stand out even during a global pandemic. This course wouldn't have been possible if the faculty, staff, and TA's weren't able to come together in a meaningful way and think outside the box, which ultimately is what sets Dartmouth apart. In my mind ENGS 146 has always been a standout course, and I think this term was no different, as students put just as much heart and passion into their projects as ever, and the results speak for themselves."
Scott Ramsay is a Technical Instructor who comes from a background of Baja car building, CNC machining, industrial automation, IT, and more. Scott is passionate about engineering education, and believes that the foundation being laid by staff and faculty at Thayer is pivotal to the sucsess of the students in their careers. He is always looking for ways to include new tools and tech into the curriculum, and was thrilled that ENGS 146 was going to be teaching students about the exciting and ever expanding field of additive manufacturing. Scott aided teams with mechanical design and helped to troubleshoot any issues that arose with the 3D printers during the course. Scott also was responsible for designing the custom GCode program which simulates rough and stormy seas by using the bed of the 3D printer.
"It was really awesome to see how much the students were invested in these projects, it clearly shows in many of the designs how much they enjoyed this project by the ways in which they've taken it to the next level. I mean one group essentially said from the start how they wanted to have a really cool clock that they could have on their desk when the class was over, and another team chose to include super intricate and stylish purely decorative panels in their design, which I think really demonstrates how teams were willing to put in extra time and effort for a project they were clearly passionate about."
Quang Dang is a Dartmouth '19 and completed his BE in Mechanical Engineering at Thayer in March 2020. He took ENGS 146 as a student in Spring 2019, designing an omnidirectional vehicle. This spring, he has returned as a TA, helping to adapt this complex, wild, and exhilarating course into a remote format. Working with the students, Quang helped to resolve 3D printer issues, troubleshoot CAD software bugs, and review clock designs. He also helped to put together photo and video content for the course.
"After all the hours we spent in re-designing ENGS 146, it was extremely rewarding to see how engaged the students were in the course. Even remotely, there was a lot of instructional help and peer-to-peer collaboration, and we think it really showed in the final project. The students’ clock designs and builds turned out better than we could’ve imagined at the beginning of the course."
Sharon Bian is a Dartmouth ’19 who completed her BE in Mechanical Engineering at Thayer in March 2020. While on campus, Sharon helped design a new lab for the 2020 class that involved driving a tricycle with a hand drill. But when the pandemic hit and that lab was pushed till next year, Sharon was excited to join the TA team. Other than troubleshooting printer issues, her primary challenge was developing a system to display data from each clock online, so students (and you) could see how they ranked among their peers. She wrote a full stack RESTful web app that dynamically updates with each clock tick. Because she misses her late nights in Thayer, Sharon has also been balancing starting her job as a software engineer in the middle of the term.
“ENGS 146 has always been a crazy and complex course, and I'm so impressed with how students took on the challenges of remote learning and produced such robust and intricate clocks. It's really rewarding to see how much time, passion, and energy everyone invested in this class.”
Ethan Smith ’20 is completing his Bachelor of Engineering (BE) at Dartmouth College, concentrating in Mechanical Engineering. He and his team completed the design and build of an omni-directional vehicle in ENGS 146 in spring of 2019, returning as a Teaching Assistant to the 2020 class. Ethan worked with the other instructors in synthesizing the final project and advising students on chronometer design. Ethan will move to Boulder, CO following the course to pursue his career as an Aerospace Engineer.
“I am perpetually astounded at what the students have been able to achieve given the remote setting. I couldn’t be more proud of what they and our team of instructors have accomplished this term.”
Philip Bennett is a Dartmouth '19 and completed his BE in mechanical engineering at Thayer in March 2020. Having taken ENGS 146 during Spring 2019, Philip jumped at the opportunity to work as a TA in 2020. Redesigning the course for remote learning was challenging but fun, and Philip loved working with the students as they adapted to the new format and became pros with their 3D printers. Philip designed assignments, helped troubleshoot printer issues, and instructed students in CAD modeling techniques. As a sailor, designing a mechanical clock inspired by a marine chronometer was a particularly exciting design challenge. After ENGS 146, Philip will be returning to California to pursue a career in mechanical engineering.
"Seeing the students adapt to the new learning style and jump right into the deep end with their 3D printers was amazing. I feel extremely lucky to have been part of such an amazing team that put this course together and to have created a meaningful and educational experience for the students."
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