Simmers Crane Design & Services Company was founded in 1958 by Charles Simmers, former Chief Engineer with Koppers Co. and Vice President of Engineering with Morgan Engineering Company. Mr. Simmers recognized the need for a specialty engineering group to serve the steel industry, and was able to staff his group with engineering personnel from major crane and mill builders.
Initially providing engineering services only, Simmers became a Division of Pollock Research and Design, Inc. in 1966 and has expanded its' capabilities to include complete engineering services, field services, and materials for cranes, weight handling, mill, special, and category "A" nuclear equipment.
Providing services both domestically and internationally, Simmers, along with its' sister division Reading Crane & Engineering Co., is an OEM supplier.
Simmers is accredited by the U.S. Department of Labor to inspect, test, and certify Maritime shore-based material handling devices such as cranes, derricks, spouts, etc. which require certification under Federal regulation 29 CFR Part 1918.
Industries served include: Steel, Heavy Fabrication, Manufacturing, Aluminum, Specialty Metals, Utility (Fossil Fuel, Hydro and Nuclear Plants), Paper, Construction, Automotive, Mining and Dockside Material Handling.
With 9 locations in Salem OH, Buffalo NY, Erie PA, Cleveland OH, Dearborn MI, Rock Island Illinois, Wisconsin, Chicago, IL and Texas, Simmers Crane and Design Services looks to hire 1 to 4 interns annually. Since Simmers began hiring interns, 8 past interns have become full time employees. Simmers states that their intent for hiring any intern is to eventually bring them on after they graduate. Although Simmers is not an international or fortune 500 company, they tend to conduct international business when it makes sense. As stated by a representative of the company, “We are primarily an engineering and field service company for overhead cranes and other material handling equipment. We manufacture cranes in our Salem, Buffalo, Cleveland and Illinois shops. We also design and manufacture below the hook lifting devices. We will design and manufacture all crane components.” Within Simmers’ structured internship program, they require students to register their experience with the STEM Careers, Internships & Co-ops office at Youngstown State University (YSU). Being in an ever-growing needed industry Simmers Crane offers a lot of opportunities and career building experiences for students.
Special Thanks to Pat Dechillis from Simmers Crane Design & Services!
Dr. Michael Butcher is a Professor of Biology at YSU. Originally from Newport News, Virginia, he received his bachelor’s, master’s, Ph.D, and postdoctoral fellowship, degree in Zoology from Christopher Newport University, Wake Forest University, University of Calgary via Florida State University, and Clemson University respectively. Dr. Butcher joined theYSU faculty in 2008.
During his time at YSU, Dr. Butcher has managed to develop specialty courses in his area of expertise; established a productive research laboratory; mentored and trained 3-4 graduate students each year; and routinely published the findings of his scholarly research activity. Dr. Butcher teaches Introduction to Anatomy and Physiology (BIOL 1551), Mammalogy (BIOL 3725), Introduction to Human Gross Anatomy (BIOL 3705), Comparative Biomechanics (BIOL 4811/6911 + lab), and Research Methods for Thesis/non-Thesis (BIOL 6991-6994).
Dr. Butcher recently had his research published in the Journal of Experimental Biology. His research evaluates muscle activation patterns in forelimbs of three-toed sloths. He wants to understand that sloths demonstrate modulations in their neuromuscular patterns of muscle activation and recruitment that allows them to conserve energy during suspensory hanging versus when more force is needed during locomotion. Sloths may have the slowest contracting muscle fibers of all vertebrates for which similar data are available.
Dr. Butcher and other researchers sedated sloths and implanted microelectrodes in their forelimb muscles. After recovery from sedation, they had them perform trials of hanging and walking beneath a bamboo beam, as well as vertical climbing the fences of their large animal enclosure, all while wirelessly recording signals of muscle contraction. The electromyography (EMG) signals were analyzed for duration, intensity, and electrical impulse frequency during contraction. Finally, the results were compared across the three behaviors for differences in muscle activation properties.
The research indicated that sloths have modified their neuromuscular system to be tuned to recruit slow vs. fast muscle fibers (or motor units) to match postural vs. locomotor behaviors and this allows them to conserve metabolic energy all while providing an appropriate amount of strength for each behavior. In addition, sloths may have the slowest contracting muscle fibers that have ever been studied in vertebrates. Slow-contracting fibers maximize force while minimizing energy consumption.
In addition to his sloth research, Dr. Butcher has been involved with the YSU chapter of the American Medical Student Association (AMSA-YSU) for nearly 10 years as the faculty mentor. He is a regular Faculty Mentor for the prestigious Choose Ohio First scholarship program (5 years). He is also the Graduate Coordinator for the Biological Sciences Division of the Department of Chemical and Biological Sciences. Graduate student training has been and will continue to be one of his major commitments at YSU. If you students want to find out more information about Dr. Butcher’s research, click here.
Students who wish to contact Dr. Butcher, can email him at mtbutcher@ysu.edu or if you want talk to him in person, visit his office at x2195; 4013 in WBSH via his office hours T/TH 2:30-4pm, MW 4-5pm, or by appt.
Continuing our focus on Forensic Science, two YSU Alums tell how their experince in the Forensic Science program change their lives for the better.
Melissa O'Connor has a bachelor’s in Biology and Forensic Science at YSU. She earned a masters in Post- Genomic Biology at YSU and is a certified Genealogist from Boston University. Melissa came to YSU because it was close to home, affordable and because of the great music and forensic science department.
She was inducted into the VIDOCQ society last year, a cold case society filled with experts in the law enforcement and forensics fields. She offers forensic science serology and DNA expertise to various police departments throughout the country in trying to solve their cold cases. She also recently competed for Miss America to represent Pennsylvania to share her platform of working with underprivileged kids whom don't have the same educational opportunities as other kids.
Melissa joined Forensic Science Club when they were looking for a new president at the time and was elected president. She wanted to get more involved in forensic science outside the classroom and network with individuals in forensics.She appreciated visiting law enforcement agencies and frensics labs, along with the opportunity to network with experts in the field. She met with many individuals whom worked in the field of forensics that allowed her to intern with their company, which later helped in narrowing down what specialty in forensics she wanted to pursue.
Melissa is currently a Forensic Scientist at the Philadelphia Police Department. Outside of work, Melissa is into fitness and is currently working on starting her own fitness business. She's also a big cyclist and loves to do cycling in long distance events. Melissa's future goal is to use her current skills of serology, DNA and genealogy to solve cold cases.
Octavious Jones has a bachelor’s in Applied Science with a focus in Forensic science and a minor in Chemistry at YSU. Octavious chose to attend YSU not only because it was close to home, but because YSU offers Forensic Science as a major, and not just as an elective.
Octavious heard about the Forensic Science Club a couple of times in his core classes and talked to Professor Clutter about it to get more information. He quickly learned that the Forensic Science Club is anything and everything forensics. From reviewing and looking at cold cases to touring amazing facilities like the FBI laboratory in Quantico. He also learned that the club connects with the community (high school & middle school kids) and provides real hands-on experiments from blood splatter to becoming a death investigator and solving a crime in the crime scene condo on campus.
The forensics program at YSU requires an internship and Octavious did his with the Mahoning County Coroner's Office, where he later got a job as am investigator.
Octavious is a very active type of person. When he's not working, he loves to go running, hiking, camping, kayaking, road trips, traveling, etc… He's always ready for the next adventure.
YSU STEM would like to welcome our two newest faculty, Associate Professors Robert Wardle III and Susan Clutter.
Robert Wardle is an Associate Professors for Forensic Science. Robert received his bachelor’s in Criminal Justice and his master’s in Chemistry at YSU. He also earned his master’s in Forensic Science at the University of Florida. Mr. Wardle created the Forensic Science Club back in 2007 and serves as one of its faculty advisors. He created it to have the opportunity to assist in developing a forensic science program that will allow students to succeed in the discipline. Robert has done several participation projects with several organizations such as: Relay for Life, Silly Science Sunday and Girl Scouts. Teaching them all about forensic chemistry, forensic science education and fingerprint analysis.
Along with that, Robert has participated in bake sales, apperal sales and resturant take overs for fund raising. Along with that, Robert has participated in bake sales, apperal sales and resturant take overs for fund raising. And has journeyed with the forensic science club to visit the FBI training Facility in Quantico, VA, COSI in Columbus, OH, and Cuyahoga County Regional Forensic Science Laboratory.
When Robert isn't being a faculty advisor or a professor, he is a recreational football player, a competitive dart shooter and a film enthusiast.
Susan Clutter is an associate professor for Forensic Science. She has a bachelor's in Biology from Clark University, and a master's of Forensic Science from George Washington University. Before becoming a professor, Susan was a Crime Scene Investigator for 10 years with 2 different police departments in Maryland. In 2010 she came to YSU to help properly fund, grow, and eventually accredit the Forensic Science program. Susan serves as one of the faculty advisors to the FS Club and helps in sponsoring the club. It is a very important facet of the FS program because the FS Club students do a lot of volunteer work, like speaking to future students who are interested in FS, or helping out with the Crime Scene Condo for recruitment events. They also raise a lot of money so the students can go on field trips. Additionally, they have helped to work on cold cases for local police agencies.
In her downtime, Susan enjoys watching her 15 year old son run for the cross country team at Poland High School, and spends a lot of time with my her puppy Henley. She's also just finished co-authoring a textbook called "So You Want to Be A CSI?", due to go on sale soon.
If you would like to contact Professor Robert Wardle III directly, please email him at rewardle@ysu.edu(link sends e-mail)
If you would like to contact Professor Susan Clutter directly, please email her at swclutter@ysu.edu(link sends e-mail)
YSU is more than happy and excited to invite its newest member to the STEM family. Welcome Forensic Science! We also want to spotlight the amazing Forensic Science Club and their service to STEM.
The Forensic Science Club has done a variety of work in the club, some of their favorite activities were volunteering to the youth in the Youngstown community and teaching them forensics. Most of the time local high schools, girl scout, and boy scout groups all come to their Crime Scene Condo and get to experience what it would like to be a crime scene investigator. They get to collect evidence, take photos, take measurements and the FS Club works alongside them and help them solve the case. Besides volunteering, the FS Club does many different fundraisers so that they can take their members out to do escape rooms and do trips. The club has gone to Baltimore, Maryland to a forensic science conference and that trip was completely free to students. They also traveled to Quantico, VA, and Washington, DC to see the FBI Academy and the White House, respectively.
A student can email the club at forensicscienceclubysu@gmail.com and they can reach out to the Forensic Science Club about anything! They also have twitter, instagram, and snapchat so feel free to follow us on those, @ysuforensics. They also hold bi-weekly meetings and currently they are via Webex and the link to attend the meetings can be found on their social media.
The Clarence Smith Mineral Museum is open to visitors- by appointment! Contact the Museum in advance to schedule an appointment. Face masks are required at all times while in the museum. All visitors must be free of any symptoms related to COVID-19 and maintain a 6' distance from museum staff and other Museum visitors from different households.
To schedule your appointment to visit the museum call (330) 941-7454 or email sahudzik01@ysu.edu
For the safety of all parties involved and those on campus, the Fall 2020 STEM Expo has gone virtual. What does that mean exactly? It means that in addition to virtual interaction with employers, the structure of the STEM Expo will be set up a little bit differently this year! This semester’s Expo has been extended to a full week – Monday, October 5 through Friday, October 9!
The STEM Expo will rely more heavily on Handshake this year than it has in past years. Students and alumni will upload a resume, build a profile, register for each Expo day and then register for individual or group sessions. After employers have registered on Handshake, they will build their own schedules for their selected session day. Once the schedules have been established, students and alumni will be able to register for the employer sessions. Registered employers will also have the opportunity to review the resumes and Handshake profiles for registered students and alumni.
Registered employers have also been given the opportunity to still promote their company by having a display table during the Fall 2020 STEM Virtual Expo event. Employers will be able to either mail or drop off any information or promotional items for students and alumni on or before Friday, October 2, 2020. They will need to contact STEM Professional Services STEM Careers, Internships & Co-ops at 330.941.2151 to make special arrangements.
How can students and alumni be prepared?
REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED TO ATTEND THE VIRTUAL EXPO
Overall, students and alumni will need to be more proactive this semester than for Expos past. Students and alumni will have to complete the following before being able to have the great employer connection they’re looking for:
Sign into Handshake at ysu.joinhandshake.com.
o Complete profile
o Upload resume for review
o Make any revisions to the resume and reupload for final approval
Go to ysu.joinhandshake.com/events and register for all 9 Fall 2020 STEM Expo Event. There will be different employers at each.
o View employers registered for each event.
o Sign up for a session time!
o Employer registration is on a rolling basis. Continue to check in to see new employers and updated schedules.
Many employers already have schedules available for students and alumni to register for sessions. If students or alumni have any questions about Handshake and the STEM Expo, please contact Quan Tran, Coordinator of STEM Careers, Internships & Co-ops, at 330.941.2152 or qgtran@ysu.edu.
What’s the difference between a 1:1 session and a group session?
Employers will conduct either 1:1 sessions or group sessions. Some employers have signed up for multiple days to conduct both. Many employers are doing one type or the other.
A 1:1 session is a 10-minute session where students and alumni come to Stambaugh Stadium to speak individually with a representative via laptop from the company that they’ve signed up for.
Students and alumni might have the opportunity to pick up information or promotional items if an employer provides them.
A group session is a less interactive, more informative presentation with an employer to learn more about the company and the opportunities for students and alumni. Students and alumni come to Stambaugh Stadium, “Gymnasiums A” to check-in. With limited access to laptops, students/alumni are encouraged to bring their own laptop and headset.
Students and alumni will have the opportunity to walk through the Employer Display to pick up information or promotional items if an employer provides them.
Students and alumni must register for both 1:1 and group sessions on Handshake prior to attending. If you see that an employer is attending but there are no available sessions for them, they have not built their schedules yet. At this time, no employer is filled up on sessions. Please check back often to see more employers have updated their schedules!
Where are students and alumni expected to conduct these sections?
Although the Expo is being held virtually this year, YSU College of STEM Careers, Internships & Co-ops is providing a physical space on campus for students and alumni to conduct their 1:1 sessions and/or group sessions in order to monitor any technical issues andmaintain a professional environment, but the space is ultimately optional. For 1:1 session, students and alumni will report to Stambaugh Stadium, floor P. Check-in is in the President’s Loge and 1:1 sessions will be held in the Debartolo Stadium Club. If students or alumni would like a quiet space on campus to participate in their group sessions, students and alumni will report to Stambaugh Stadium, Gymnasiums A-C. Check-in is in Gymnasium A and 1:1 sessions will be held in Gymnasiums B&C. Since we will have limited access to laptops, we do encourage students/alumni to bring their own laptops and headsets.
Similar to previous STEM Expos, students and alumni will sign in and receive a nametag and booklet. There will be a limited amount of space provided for students and alumni to review their booklets and prepare to speak with an employer on the check-in side.
If you have any questions that need answered prior to your registration, please contact Sherri Hrusovski, Director of STEM Professional Services and STEM Careers, Internships & Co-ops, at 330.941.2912 or slhrusovski@ysu.edu.(link sends e-mail) We always love working with new employers!
Fall 2020 STEM Expo Event Details below:
Monday, 10.05.20 – Friday, 10.09.20 1:1 Sessions
o Check-in: Stambaugh Stadium, President’s Loge
o Space to attend session: Stambaugh Stadium, Debartolo Stadium Club
Mon, 10.05 | Day 1
AM 1:1 Sessions | 9:00 – 11:30 AM
PM 1:1 Sessions | 1:30 – 5:00 PM
Tues, 10.06 | Day 2
AM 1:1 Sessions | 9:00 – 11:30 AM
PM 1:1 Sessions | 1:30 – 5:00 PM
Wed, 10.07 | Day 3
AM 1:1 Sessions | 9:00 – 11:30 AM
Thur, 10.08 | Day 4
AM 1:1 Sessions | 9:00 – 11:30 AM
PM 1:1 Sessions | 1:30 – 5:00 PM
· Group Sessions:
o Check-in: Stambaugh Stadium, Gymnasium A (enter by ticket booth)
o Space to attend session: Stambaugh Stadium, Gymnasiums B & C (optional)
Wed, 10.07 | Day 3
· PM Group Sessions | 1:30 – 5:00 PM
Fri, 10.09 | Day 5
PM Group Sessions | 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
For more information, contact STEM Careers, Internships & Co-ops: ·
Even as the nationwide shut down unfolded in the spring of 2020, the three Mechanical Engineering Senior Design Competition Teams remained active, though virtually. Here is a synopsis of each:
I. NASA Lunabotics Rover Design
STEM students come together to participate in the NASA Lunabotics Engineering Competition. This annual competition is held at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida where 50 national collegiate teams come together to showcase their designs and compete against one another with the common goal of mining, collecting, and dispensing as many lunar ice crystals as possible within a certain amount of time. The overall philosophy behind the operation of the rover was to collect and dispense the lunar ice crystals in a clean and precise manner. Throughout the life of the project, the team founded the first ever Robotics Club at Youngstown State University and brought together students of many disciplines including mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, computer science, manufacturing engineering, and physics. Working together, the YSU Robotics Club was able to build a rover capable of performing the tasks set forth by NASA. Unfortunately, the 2020 NASA Lunabotics Competition was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the team was unable to showcase all of its hard work; however, they continued to optimize their virtual design right up until graduation. The project was passed on to underclassmen to continue testing and optimizing the current design with hopes of winning the 2021 NASA Lunabotics Competition.
Students interested in the Robotics Club may contact Dr. Jason Walker (here is his email, you can hyperlink it: jmwalker05@ysu.edu
II. YSU Penguin Baja Racing Competition Team
SAE Baja is a worldwide collegiate design series where teams are tasked with creating their own off-road vehicles. The purpose is to push engineering teams and Baja cars to their limits and see which designs stand up to the rigors of competition. For Youngstown State University the SAE Baja team is a sponsored club that unites all levels of mechanical engineering students. This year the team had the goal to place top 10 overall in this year’s competition. However, due to unforeseen circumstances with the COVID-19 epidemic the physical competition was canceled. The team continued to work on the design so that they could compete in the virtual static events at an international competition. From over 100 teams entered spanning 7 countries, Penguin Baja Racing placed 22nd in the overall static events competition. This included a 23rd place finish in design cost, a 21st place finish in engineering design, and an 18th place finish in the investor sales presentation. This was their 2nd best static events placement since YSU Baja was reestablished in 2013 which had positioned them well to break into the top 15 if the entire competition were held.
Students interested in the Baja Team should contact Mr. Anthony Viviano (hyperlink his email: avviviano@ysu.edu
III. YSU Aero – 3D Printed Glider Team
This Mechanical Engineering senior design team was poised to compete at The University of Texas at Arlington 3D Printed Aircraft Competition. This competition provides students from all over the world an opportunity to advance the fields of additive manufacturing and aerospace. Teams are tasked with designing an aircraft where all the structural members and aerodynamic surfaces are 3D printed. This aircraft is propelled for a maximum of 5 seconds on launch and must glide to the ground. Entries are measured by time, beginning when the launcher leaves the hand of the “thrower” and ending when the aircraft contacts the ground. Control surfaces are permitted for teams to pilot the aircraft. Prizes are awarded to the teams with the two longest flight durations, and an additional award is provided to the most innovative design. While the physical competition was cancelled, the virtual competition was held and team YSU AERO WON the design innovation award in the fixed wing category! The three man team included mechanical engineering students Joe Ciarniello, Cole Popichak, and Josh Potkanowicz. Here is a statement from these YSU graduates:
“This project provided our team the opportunity to develop our additive manufacturing skills and gave us new perspectives on working as a team. Through the many trials of this project, whether internal or external, we leveraged the unique skills of each member to create a successful outcome. This teamwork mindset will prove invaluable as we begin our careers. Additionally, we are proud to showcase Youngstown State University as a hub for continued innovation in additive manufacturing.
We would like to thank our faculty advisors, especially Dr. Moldovan and Marcus Harden, for their constant support throughout this project. Additional thanks goes to the University of Texas at Arlington faculty for providing this competition to students from around the country. We are honored by the review panel’s recognition of our efforts, and many thanks to Altair for their support of the Design Innovation Award during this difficult time.
We wish luck to next year’s team of incoming seniors!”
Students interested in the 3D Glider Competition may reach out to Dr. Stefan Moldovan simoldovan@ysu.edu
Zach Mazur, a recent graduate with a Masters of Science in Mechanical Engineering from YSU and a Bachelor of Arts in Physics from Washington & Jefferson College in Washington, PA, has finalized the research necessary to ensure the new wind tunnel in the Flow Physics Lab was ready to be used for research.
Zach explains that the project was shaped around the newly constructed research grade wind tunnel located in the Flow Physics Lab in Moser Hall. The wind tunnel has been in the works for the last few years. A design was based off of a previous NASA design with a few minor differences. Extreme flow conditioning devices are being utilized to ensure flow quality is research grade.
Zach recalls a previous thesis: Mark Blanco did a 3 dimensional model of the wind tunnel using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to ensure that the tunnel would have good quality. Based off the good results, the final construction of the tunnel began. His project included assembling the finishing touches of the tunnel and then taking measurements of the flow (the first to do so).
When constructing a wind tunnel, it is important to do a series of baseline tests to establish an operating envelope once complete. It’s imperative to assess the flow quality at as many positions of the test section as possible, the area which objects will be tested. The flow was measured at the entrance of the test section. The measurements looked at the flow uniformity in all directions, top speed of the tunnel, the boundary layer measurements and turbulence intensity.
The measurements made are the first to be completed on the wind tunnel. These measurements have characterized the wind tunnel and have shown the operating envelope of the flow and the flow quality. Extreme lengths were taken to ensure the flow quality would be good enough for use on research projects. The turbulence intensity of the flow (TI) was found to be .3% at the lowest speed regime and below .2% at all other speeds measured. All measurements were taken at four different speeds; 3, 7.5, 15, and 30 m/s.
The project was executed with a lot of trial and error over a long period of time. Gathering quality experimental data is very hard to do. Zach had to build mounts for the three different probes used in assessing the flow quality and top speed. Data was taken many times and fixtures were adjusted until he was confident that the data measured could not be any more accurate with our lab and instrument capabilities.
Zach Mazur has since graduated from YSU and is currently raising a newborn.
