PSU Magazine Fall 2005

Students take on a practical power problem Four undergraduate students in the Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science have solved a tech– nical problem for local PNGC Power. The students developed a unit that allows remote switching controlled through the Internet between power sources and metering points-enabling PNGC to provide the right amount of electricity for 160,000 customers in seven western states. "This team of young people brought the formidable combined power of intellect and work ethic to bear on a knotty technical problem with great success," says Kevin Watkins, PNGC Powers vice president for engineering. 'This work is a great help to us." Currently in use by PNGC, this new ability to switch remotely gives the company necessary and efficient access to isolated, unstaffed sites where the metering points are located. In the past PNGC had to send crews to each of its 80 metering points, which was both costly and time-consuming. With the new approach, PNGC personnel can monitor and control the power distrib– ution units from their offices using an ordinary Web browser. The electrical and computer engi– neering students who developed the remote switch unit are Joey Baranski, Andreas Greisel, Jeremy Bynum, and Josef Lotz. Leineweber named head of PSU Foundation Tony Leineweber '68 was recently appointed executive director of the PSU Foundation. For the past 14 years, he served as vice president of Crown Pacific and as senior vice presi– dent of Market Transport. A longtime supporter of Portland State, Leineweber is a member of the School of Business Advisory Council, served on the PSU Foundation board for six years (including a term as presi– dent) and received the PSU President's Award. He is active with PSU Athletics and was recognized as Viking Club Volunteer of the Year. Peace Corps alumni come to campus Nearly 150 Peace Corps volunteers who served in Turkey in the '60s and early '?Os and who, for t!1e most part, trained at PSU, gathered on campus in June to remi– nisce and hear about Turkey today during a three-day conference. From 1963 to 1973 Portland State was tl,e primary location in the United States for training Peace Corps volunteers to tl,e Republic of Turkey. At PSU they studied the language as well as the culture and political and social history. They also had training in their areas of specialty, such as public health and education. The returnees were mostly from other parts of the county and could have held their meeting anywhere, but they decided that, besides Turkey, the one thing they had in common was Portland State and the good memories of training here. A highlight of the meeting was an address by Burak Akcapar, first counselor of the Turkish Embassy in Washington, D.C. Akcapar made a special trip to Portland for the event. Engineering master's degrees in Beaverton The Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science is now offering four masters degree programs at the CAPITAL Center on Walker Road in Beaverton. During evenings and weekends, PSU faculty are teaching masters degree courses in computer science, electrical and computer engineering, and engineering and technology man– agement, as well as the Oregon Master of Software Engineering. "We're pleased that PSU will now be offering master's degrees in engi– neering right here in Washington County," says Morgan Anderson, edu– cation relations manager at Intel Corporation. "Our employees will no longer have to commute to downtown Portland to complete tl,eir PSU graduate degrees." The Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science Westside mas– ter's degree programs are offered in partnership with Oregon Center for Technology Education. D FALL 2005 PSU MAGAZINE 3