Activities

July 25, 2023

We got to learn about virtual and augmented reality from Prof. Khalid Mirza this afternoon and then got to experience the OU Augmented Reality Center. Students and Prof. Guessous got to try out different VR and AR systems. It was very interesting and lots of fun. Thank you Prof. Mirza!

July 25, 2023

Great poster presentations today by our REU students todays. It's always exciting to see how much they were able to to accomplish in a few short weeks! The poster designs were as varied and unique as the projects and students themselves are. Wonderful work everyone! Thank you to all of the faculty, administrators, staff and students who stopped by the Engineering Center to learn more about their projects. 

July 13, 2023

Interesting presentation today by Jim Leidel from DTE Energy. Jim has extensive experience in energy systems, renewable energy, Comnbined Heat and Power (CHP) and other emerging energy technologies. The presentation focused on a comparison of three hydrogen production methods, including steam methane reforming, electrolysis and the emerging method of hydrogen pyrolysis. Did you know that there are different hydrogen classifications? I didn't and today learned about “green hydrogen” from solar PV hydrolysis of water, “blue hydrogen” from steam methane reforming of natural gas (with carbon capture) as well as “turquoise hydrogen”, or methane pyrolysis which produces solid carbon black and no CO2 gas.

July 10, 2023

Today we got to welcome Stephen Powell back to OU and the AERIM REU program for a chat with the 2023 REU students. Stephen is an OU Mechanical Engineering graduate and former AERIM REU participant (2014). After completing his M.S. in mechanical engineering at the University of Michigan, he joined Ford Motor Company and is currently working on the HV battery systems. Steve discussed his academic, REU and professional experiences, and answered lots of questions about the auto industry, graduate school, EV's, etc. Thank you for a lively and interesting discussion!

June 26, 2023

What a treat today! REU students got to tour the Valeo facility in Auburn Hills, MI. Not only did they get to learn about thermal and powertrain products and testing, toured various labs, and got to talk to various engineers and managers, but they also got to do a hands-on activity that involved taking an automotive cooling system apart and examining the various components. A great thanks to former OU alum Sridhar Maddipatla, R&D Manager, for coordinating the tour.

June 19, 2023

Our undergraduate researchers got to the Ford Advanced Manufacturing Center in Redford, MI today. There they got to see cutting-edge manufacturing technologies being developed for the automotive industry, including AGVs, additive manufacturing, robotics, etc. They also got to the unique opportunity to discuss the variety of career opportunities in automotive manufacturing with Ford Staff, including a casual discussion and Q&A with Jason Ryska, director of global manufacturing technology development for Ford Motor Company.  We are so fortunate to be located in the heart of the automotive industry!

June 15, 2023

Our REU student researchers gave their mid-term project presentations today and they all did an outstanding job! It's amazing to see how they are quickly becoming experts in their research areas! We can't wait to see their final project presentations in a few weeks! Our researchers also met today with Bianca Bryant, the SECS Assistant Director of Outreach to discuss the planning of their upcoming STEM outreach activity to middle schoolers in July. 

June 12, 2023

Today we got to tour the Stellantis aero-acoustic wind tunnel in Auburn Hills, MI. In addition to touring the full scale wind tunnel and walking through its circuit, we also got to visit the 3/8-scale wind tunnel and a lab where we got to see clay mock-ups and 3-D printed parts used for the testing. A great thank you to Greg Fadler, Aerodynamics Technical Specialist, and Steve Kubiac for arranging this wonderful tour.

May 22, 2023

We are delighted to welcome our 12th cohort of undergraduate researchers to Oakland University. We can already tell that we have yet again a great and talented group of students who are ready to embark on a journey of learning and discovery. This year's REU participants come from Virginia, Pennsylvania, Kansas, New Mexico, California and Michigan. We look forward to working with them this summer. Welcome to Oakland University! Tomorrow they will get to hear about the various 2023 research project options.

July 19, 2022

The REU students got a special treat today. They got to first learn about vehicle aerodynamics from Stellantis experts and then got to tour the Stellantis aeroacoustics wind tunnel facility in Auburn Hills, MI. Walking through the wind tunnel circuit, under the massive fan blades and learning about how the wind tunnel functions is a unique experience. A great thank you to Greg Fadler, Wind Tunnel Lab Manager and Aerodynamics Technical Specialist, Todd Lounsberry, Senior Technical Specialist and Aerodynamics Engineer, and the rest of their team for organizing this presentation and tour.

July 13 and 14, 2022

Time to give back! REU students participated in an outreach activity involving 25 rising 9th grader girls from the city of Detroit taking part in the Engineering Society of Detroit (ESD) Girls in Engineering Academy summer camp at Oakland University. REU student teams were tasked with developing a 1-1.5 hour hands-on activity that could relate back to their research projects and would excite the camp participants about STEM. All of the teams did a fabulous job!

June 29, 2022

Today was a busy and exciting day for our REU researchers. First they got to tour the Stellantis NVH lab at the Chrysler Technical Center in Auburn Hills, MI. The tour was organized and led by Chris Shaw, Advanced Powertrain NVH Technical Fellow, who is co-advising one of this year's REU projects with Prof. Ryan Monroe. Then the students toured the American Battery Solutions facility in Lake Orion, where they learned about new Lithium-ion battery solutions for electric vehicles. This tour was organized by Erik Anderson, Director of Technology, Validation, and Testing and Prof. Xia Wang. 

June 24, 2022

REU student researchers got to tour the Ford Advanced Manufacturing Center in Redford, MI. There they got to see cutting-edge manufacturing technologies being developed for the automotive industry, including 3-D printing, robotics, etc. They also got to the unique opportunity to discuss the variety of career opportunities in automotive manufacturing with Ford Staff. This tour was was organized by Jason Ryska, Chief Engineer for Stamping at Ford Motor Company and another OU grad! We are so lucky to have so many OU graduates working in interesting jobs in the automotive industry.  

June 21, 2022

Very interesting presentation today by Jeff Dix from Nissan Technical Center North America who gave a seminar on Working Toward "Virtually Zero" Motor Vehicle Fatalities . The seminar discussed various vehicle safety technologies and features that have been developed to reduce automotive fatalities and improve safety. Mr. Dix is a repeat seminar speaker to the AERIM REU program and his presentation is always very well received and eye opening. 

June 17, 2022

Today students got to tour the Valeo facility in Auburn Hills, MI. There they heard presentations about Valeo thermal system products, R&D/process development processes, and virtual analysis and got to tour several Valeo labs focused on performance, durability, corrosion, NVH and prototyping. Seeing NVH, HVAC, and additive manufacturing testing and design in action was a highlight of the tour. The tour was organized by Sridhar Maddipatla, R&D manager and a former Oakland University graduate!

June 8, 2022

The REU student researchers attended the AutoTech: Detroit Expo in Novi, MI. There they got to see various automotive exhibits and products and interacted with a variety of automotive exhibitors. They also got to see and climb into various EV vehicles that were on display.

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