1. science
2. engineering

Tau Beta Pi – Michigan Epsilon Chapter
Wayne State University – Winter 2015
Winter 2015
Officers
Maryssa Mercer
President
Doug Harriman
Vice-President
Stephen Caren
Membership VP
Curt Laugh
Corresponding Secretary
Melissa Wrobel
Treasurer
Shannon Bell
Recording Secretary
Amelia Zelenak
Historian
Colin Weir
Cataloger
Nour Arafat
Community Service
Apoorv Talekar
Tutoring Coordinator
Nathan Cobb
Social Coordinator
Adam Basha
Technology Coordinator
March 2015, Vol. 3
The initiation period is over and it’s time to make some
decisions. For some it was a mad scramble and for others it
was calm and methodical. The Tau Beta Pi room was
frequently bustling with prospective members, bringing
with them fresh energy that has brought them to this point;
to qualify as a TBP member.
The Big Bent is looking brighter than it has for a long time,
despite the cold weather. Multiple polishing sessions were
held for initiates who were determined to fulfill all the
requirements. The cold weather and frozen scrubbing pads
didn’t deter their enthusiasm. Likewise, their personal bents
are filed, sanded, and polished; the judging process is going
to be intense.
What Two Animals Would You Combine?
Aditya Agrawal
Ali Al-Sharif
Avik Chakravarty
Russell Charles
Farah Dubaisi
Joseph Gaulin
Markos Gerges
Taewon Kim
Joshua Klinger
Anthony Kurcz
Ngo Nguyen
Dana Nachawati
Sahadev Parajuli
Rohit Raut
Max Sydorchuk
Tan Son
Stephan Wagner
Xin Yu
Lion & Shark
Tiger & Lion
Lion & Tiger
Elephant & Lion
Ants & Bees
Rhino & Giraffe
Camel & Zebra
Lion & Tiger
Mastiff & Bear
Seahorse & Horse
Dragon & Horse
Turtle & Goat
Rabbit & Cat
Cheetah & Tiger
Panda & Eagle
Lion & Parrot
Gorilla & Cheetah
Bird & Tiger
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The Local Bent, Volume 3
Birthdays
Mar 10, Hussein Faraj
Mar 12, Christina Wong
Mar 16, Melissa Wrobel
Mar 28, Steven Stapleton
Apr 7, Genna Peltier
Apr 15, Martin Burton
March 2015
Sun
1
Mon
2
Card Night
7:30pm
TBP room
Tue
3
Game Day
10:30am12:30pm
ENGG1200
Wed
4
INITIATE
FOLDERS
DUE
Thu
5
Fri
6
GBMIII
Sat
7
8
9
TBP Pi Day
Surprise
11am12:30pm
Card Night
7:30pm
TBP room
10
11
12
PI DAY
EVENT
2:305:30pm
Ford
Activity
Center
13
14
15
SPRING
BREAK
16
17
18
19
20
21
Card Night
7:30pm
TBP room
22
23
Card Night
7:30pm
TBP room
24
25
Game Night
6:30pm8:30pm
ENGG1200
26
27
Formal
Initiatio
n
&Dinner
28
29
30
Freshman/
Sophomore
Scholarship
Deadline
Card Night
7:30pm
31
April 1
2
Dinner at
HopCat
8pm
3
4
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The Local Bent, Volume 3
April 2015
Sun
29
Mon
30
Freshman/
Sophomore
Scholarship
Deadline
Card Night
7:30pm
Tue
31
Wed
Apr 1
Thu
2
Dinner at
HopCat
8pm
Fri
3
Sat
4
5
6
Card Night
7:30pm
7
8
9
10
11
D7
Conference
MSU
12
13
Card Night
7:30pm
14
15
16
TBPi(e)-aSenior
Day
17
GBM IV
18
TBP Road
Rally
19
20
Report of
Election &
Officer
Signatures
Report
21
22
23
24
Engineering
Honors
Convocation
25
26
27
Classes End
Card Night
7:30pm
28
Study Day
29
Final
Exams
30
May 1
2
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The Local Bent, Volume 3
UNDERGRADUATE INITIATES
“I, Avik Chakravarty, am a Mechanical Engineering student with
junior status at Wayne State University. I’m currently working as a
mechanical team member at EcoCAR3, Wayne State University
competition team. I’m also working on my research, titled "Design
and Implementation of Reprogrammable Reconfigurable Smart
Windshield Wiper System." I feel truly honored to be recognized by
the Tau Beta Pi for my scholastic achievement. I’m very excited to
work as an active member of the Michigan Epsilon to engage myself
in community and social activities and develop an exemplary
character to help guide future engineers and Tau-Bates.” - Avik Chakravarty
“My name is Aditya Agrawal. I am a sophomore student in the Biomedical
Engineering Program. I live on campus at Towers and am from Livonia,
Michigan. I enjoy playing sports such as basketball, ultimate frisbee, tennis
and soccer. Some of my other hobbies include listening to music, drawing
and playing video games. My favorite book series is probably Harry Potter
and one of my favorite movies is Inception. My favorite season is winter, I
love snow although sometimes it does get too cold. I can't wait to be a part
of Tau Beta Pi!” - Aditya Agrawal
“My name is Joshua Klinger, and I am a junior mechanical engineering
student. I am 29 years old, and originally from Ohio. After high school
in the great state of Ohio, I enlisted in the United States Coast Guard,
and served for 8 years as a machinery technician; my last duty station
being here in Detroit. While in Detroit, I met my now wife, Sarah. We
have a 2 year old daughter named Annabelle. In my free time I like to
watch sports, play video games, and spend time with my family. I look
forward to getting to know each of the tau bates as I become more
involved in the organization. Thanks!”- Joshua Klinger
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“Good afternoon, my name is Markos Gerges I’m currently an electrical
engineering student here at Wayne. I’m 19 years of age but have acquired
junior status. Back in high school I participated in a program that only two
student were selected for and it was the dual enrollment program at Macomb
Community College. Because of that program I came into college with
enough credits to spare me a semester of my program. I’m also an avid runner,
I am currently training for a half marathon with goals to run it in the
beginning of May. On March 1st it will be my first race which will be a 5k.”
-Markos Gerges
“My name is Dana Nachawati and I am currently a sophomore here at
Wayne State University, studying BME with a pre-med concentration.
Through this major I have been able to connect with other students around
the WSU campus, connecting and involving myself in the core
engineering community. Along with engineering activities, I direct a
weekly Girl's Group program, leading a group of over 40 girls and 6
counselors weekly. In my free time (which there is not much of), I enjoy
Netflix marathons and going to kickboxing classes.” - Dana Nachawati
“My name is Max Sydorchuk, I am a 20 year old mechanical
engineering major from Dearborn Heights Michigan. This is my
second year at Wayne State and also the second year I have lived
on campus. I love movies more than anything, with some of my
favorites being The Dark Knight, Pulp Fiction, Drive, and The
Empire Strikes Back. When I am not in class or studying I enjoy
playing video games with my roommates and reading comic
books (Batman and Spider-Man). If you haven't guessed I am a
huge nerd. Alternative rock fills my spotify, and the Gorillaz are
definitely my favorite band. I think Detroit is a pretty cool city to
live in but I would prefer to spend the winter somewhere I could
ski and snowboard.”-Max Sydorchuk
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“My name is Ngo Nguyen (I also go by Devin) majoring in Industrial
Engineering. I'm a senior. I'm also working as a manufacturing intern at
Faurecia Automotive Seating, currently. I'm trying to obtain a full time
position upon my graduation this coming May.”
-Ngo (Devin) Van Nguyen
"My name is Tan Son. One interesting thing about my name is that my
name means new in Vietnamese. My parents named me “new” because
they just started a new life together. I lived in Vietnam for the first ten
years of my life, and I moved to the United States in 2003. I have one
older brother and one younger sister, so I’m the middle child of my family.
I’m really shy and I don’t talk much. I’m hoping that joining Tau Beta Pi
will force me to get out of my shell."
-Tan Son
“I was born in Houghton MI, but moved to Rochester NY as a baby. (not on
my own but with my family.) I graduated high school there and as soon as I
was done moved to Coral Gables Florida to go to school at the University of
Miami. I spent 3 semesters there as a biology major before leaving to join the
Army. While I was in the Army my mom moved out to Rochester Hills, MI to
work for GM, and when I got out she asked if I wanted to come out here. I
decided I would like to be close to my family again so that brought me out to
Wayne State University where I am currently a Mechanical Engineering
Major.”-Stephen Wagner
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The Trials and Tribulations of Anthony Kurcz
As the Sun passed the horizon on May 29, 1994 a great event took place. A man was
born, not a boy, but a man. He was dubbed Anthony, of the Kurcz clan!! He was
looked upon in aww as a young man in Farmington Hills until he moved to the great
Village of Dexter in the Prodigious State of Michigan. He grew and was educated at
the spectacular high school that was Dexter High School. He spent his valuable time
smiting his foes in the Arenas of Combat in the valiant sports of Football, Wrestling
and Lacrosse… He serenaded the fine ladies of Dexter with his beautiful cello… He
even once played the villain that was unjustly struck down by the “hero” known as the
Music Man… He has now attended the honorable University of Wayne State in the
lawless domain known as Detroit for three wondrous years where he relived his heroic
days of smiting foes in the Lacrosse arena and was knighted in the Brotherhood of the
Great Theta Tau Fraternity!! He is closing into his final year of his studies in the
wondrous art of Biomedical Engineering. He is following this path for his beliefs state
that flesh and bone are merely machinations of life itself! The journey has been
difficult, but he has endured!! One dark, mysterious night, he was approached by
members of a great guild known as Tau Beta Pi! He has polished the sacred sigil and
has adventured far and wide across the dangerous terrain of the College of
Engineering with the purpose of obtaining seals of endorsement from deputies and
envoys of the order scattered throughout every fabric of the College. These insignias
are necessary for his initiation into the ranks of Tau Beta Pi. He is prepared himself
for the trials and tribulations
ahead of him and he is looking
onward to completing his quest!
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Russell Charles is a student at Wayne State University, pursuing a major
in Chemical Engineering with a minor in Chemistry. Russell is extremely
interested in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, with the desire
to work on medical advances in degenerative joint and muscles diseases.
After graduation, Russell plans to pursue a Master’s degree in Biomedical
Engineering. Russell looks forward to engineering internship
opportunities which will provide valuable work experience. At Wayne
State Russell works as an undergraduate assistant in the Mathematics
department as a member of the Emerging Scholars Program, where he
works with students to develop strong mathematical and critical thinking
skills. When he has the opportunity Russell enjoys reading science-fiction,
painting, and gaming. His favorite game currently is League of Legends.
“My name is Joseph Gaulin and I was born in Michigan, but moved to
Texas with my family shortly afterwards. Ten years later, I moved back to
Michigan. I am a junior in the Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate
Program with a concentration in Bioinstrumentation. I commute to Wayne
State from Sterling Heights. When I’m not in school, I work as an
engineering intern at EnvisionTEC, a 3D printing company located in
Dearborn. I played first base for the varsity baseball team at my high
school, Parkway Christian. One of my favorite things to do is bowl, and I
have been doing so for over nine years. I have bowled one 300 game,
which is my biggest accomplishment when it comes to bowling. I love to
watch hockey, and am a huge Detroit Red Wings fan. I am also very
interested in computers, and built my first computer this past summer. It
was a great learning experience and I had a lot of fun building it.” - Joseph Gaulin
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GRADUATE INITIATES
“I am Farah Dubaisi, a graduate Manufacturing Engineering student, currently
working towards my masters degree, expecting to graduate in May 2015.I grew
up in a small, but highly diverse country in the Middle East called Lebanon
from which I learned how to be an extrovert and a person seeking high
achievements and wide knowledge. I graduated from the American University
of Beirut with a bachelor in Mechanical Engineering, after which I decided to
move a step further in my career and move to the US to explore available
opportunities. As many of my friends, classmates, and coworkers describe me, I
am a hard worker, effective team member, and highly responsible person. I
always managed to fulfill every task that has been given to me in an effective
and efficient manner. Finally, I am highly excited to join your honor society,
and allow me to thank all of the board members for giving me this valuable opportunity.”-Farah Dubaisi
Ali Al-Sharif is currently Ph.D. candidate at Wayne State University.
While at Wayne State, he has been serving as Instructional Research
Assistant and has provided graduate student assistance since 2011. He
expects to graduate by this year 2015 and is interested in working in
automotive industry after graduation.
Al-Sharif came to Wayne State University after several years of service to
Sabha University in Libya. While there he taught various courses and
supervised several undergraduate projects in the Mechanical Engineering
Department. Before joining the Engineering School faculty at Sabha, he
was a student at Budapest University of Technology and Economics in
Budapest, Hungary. He applied for his Master’s program in Mechanical
Engineering and graduated in 2005. After earning his Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, he
also has served within the mechanical engineering discipline in Libya for several employers, including as
Mechanical Engineering Supervisor at Tassli Office for Engineering Consultations, Mechanical Engineer
at Alsharara Factory, and Mechanical Engineer under the Maintenance & Construction Departments at
Alwaha Oil Company. He received a scholarship to apply for his Master’s degree, and the Excellent
Teaching Award from the Mechanical Engineering Department of University of Sebha. He also received
the Thomas C. Rumble University Graduate Fellowship from Wayne State for 2012-2013. He is a member
in a variety of honor and engineering organizations such as Golden Key Honor Society, the Engineering
Society of Detroit, and American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
“My name is Mahtab J. Fard, and I am pursuing Ph.D. degree in Industrial
Engineering. I received my BSc and MSc from Isfahan University of
Technology in my home country Iran. I enjoy teaching and doing research
and that’s why I would like to continue my study to post doc position and
working as faculty in the university. I'm always willing to help fellow
classmates and my student with schoolwork. I love cooking and baking
even if I have to many priority as last year PhD student, I always make a
few hours off each weekend to cook for whole week! I also enjoy walking
and biking all the year except snowy winter here in Michigan!” - Mahtab J.
Fard
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The Local Bent, Volume 3
“Hi, my name is Rohit Raut. I finished my Bachelor’s degree
from Indian Institute of Technology, Mandi in 2013. I am
looking forward to finishing my Master’s degree in Mechanical
Engineering and then doing a job in one of the big OEM’s. I
have a high penchant for anything related to automobile, that’s
the reason why I have been part of SAE, FSAE, ASME and
EcoCAR in my educational career. I like almost all the sports
and play most of them at a good level. I especially love soccer
and badminton. I enjoy travelling with my friends and family.
I'm excited to begin the initiation process for Tau Beta Pi!” -
Rohit Raut
“My name is Sahar Ansari and I am originally from Iran. My Alma matter is
Sharif University of Technology, which is the highest ranked university in Iran.
I came to U.S three years ago to pursue a Master’s in Electrical engineering and
Ph.D. in Computer Science. My research is mostly in Bioinformatics which is
analyzing different biological data to discover hidden information about
different diseases such as cancer. Besides my research, I like to read fiction
novels and watching movies in my spare time. I enjoy playing volleyball,
archery, and dancing such Zumba.” - Sahar Ansari Oghol Beik
“My name is Tannaz Khaleghi. I am doing my masters in industrial
engineering at Wayne state. Hopefully this semester will be my last semester
and I will graduate soon. I have completed 24 credits by far with GPA 4.00 out
of 4.00. Also I am working on a project from VA medical center under
Graduate Research Assistant contract. We are helping VA hospital manage
their surgical units more efficient so that they get more satisfactory from
patients. This is an honor for me to join Beta Pi and it seems to me like
completing the last chapter of a book by joining it, which is my master level
book and initiation of an advanced book, PhD level by becoming an active member of Tau Beta Pi.” Tannaz Khaleghi
“Hello everyone, I am Sahadev Parajuli, originally from Nepal. I
have been residing in Michigan, United States for last two years for
my Master’s degree in Civil engineering. I am a Traffic Engineer
seeking my career in Traffic Operational Practice and Safety.
Currently I am working as a Graduate Research Assistant (GRA) in
Transportation Research Group (TRG). I like listening to music,
watching movies, talking to people and participating in social works. I
found Tau Beta Pi helping me being active not only in community but
also in career sector and which is why I am interested being one of the
member of it.” - Sahadev Parajuli
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The Local Bent, Volume 3
“My name is Xin Yu and I am a PhD candidate in mechanical
engineering department at Wayne State University. I am also a
graduate research assistant working in the optical engine laboratory at
center for automotive research. My areas of research are internal
combustion engine, optical diagnostics, alternative fuels and
combustion simulations. I also like to build robots and watch movies
during my leisure time. I try to be a person who can contribute to
others and that is one of the reasons for me to join Tau Beta Pi.”
-Xin Yu
“My name is Taewon Kim. I am a graduate student (MS) at mechanical
engineering department. Before start to study at WSU, eared BS degree at
Korea where I came from. During my undergraduate I also served in the
army for two years. Currently I am working in the Optical Engine
Laboratory in room 1340 at Engineering Building, as student assistant.
Also I am a grader for ME5810 which is 'Combustion and Emissions' by
Prof. Marcis Jansons. My graduate thesis topic is about measuring
emissivity of cylinder head by measuring reflectivity with laser. Other
than the engine stuffs, I really love to listen to the music and collect music
albums. It is really pleasure to join Tau Beta Pi and nice to meet
outstanding Tau Bates.” - Taewon Kim
M E’S RULE! ;)
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16 Jokes That Are So Clever You Probably Won’t Get Them
1. Who is this Rorschach guy? And why does he paint so many pictures of my parents fighting?
2. A Roman walks into a bar and asks for a Martinus. The bartender asks, “You mean a martini?”
The Roman replies, “If I wanted a double, I would have asked for it!”
3. René Descartes walks into a bar. The bartender asks if he wants anything. He says, “I think
not”, then disappears.
4. An infinite number of mathematicians walk into a bar. The first orders a beer, the second
orders half a beer, the third orders a quarter of a beer, and so on. After the seventh order, the
bartender pours two beers and says, “You fellas out to know your limits.”
5. Yo momma’s so classless she could be a Marxist utopia.
6. Did you hear about the man who got cooled to absolute zero? He’s 0K now.
7. Sixteen sodium atoms walk into a bar followed by Batman.
8. Pavlov is sitting at a bar when all of the sudden the phone rings. Pavlov gasps and says, “Oh
crap, I forgot to feed the dog.”
9. Mahatma Gandhi, as you know, walked barefoot most of the time, which produced an
impressive set of calluses on his feet. He also ate very little, which made him rather frail and,
with his odd diet, he suffered from bad breath. This made him a super calloused fragile mystic
hexed by halitosis.
10. What’s the difference between an etymologist and an entomologist? An etymologist knows
the difference.
11. There are two types of people in this world. Those who can extrapolate from incomplete data.
12. What do you get when you cross a joke with a rhetorical question?
13. A photon checks into a hotel and the bellhop asks him if he has any luggage. The photon
replies, “No, I’m traveling light.”
14. You momma is so mean she has no standard deviation.
15. I’m thinking about selling my theremin. I haven’t touched it in years.
16. An MIT linguistics professor was lecturing his class the other day. “In English,” he said, “a
double negative forms a positive. However, in some languages, such as Russian, a double
negative remains a negative. … But there isn’t a single language, not one, in which a double
positive can express a negative.” A voice from the back of the room piped up, “Yeah, right.”
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Thank you to everyone who supported The Local Bent by provided content!!
Maryssa Mercer
Doug Harriman
Tonya Whitehead
Melissa Wrobel
Nate Cobb
Colin Weir