SeekReport_2015
- 1. By Ryan Glenn SEEK Intern Kent School Class 2012 Hamilton College ‘16 June 2015 SEEK 2015 CELEBRATING 4 YEARS OF LATERAL THINKING KENT SCHOOL 1
- 2. CONTENTS In Brief page 3 “How to Start a Business” page 4 André van der Bergh, Team Business Keynote Presentation page 5 Gregory Bedrosian SEEK 1 page 6 Pre-Engineering SEEK 2 page 7 Entrepreneurship TRUMPF page 8 Farmington Campus Visit SEEK 3 page 9 Interdisciplinary Science, Engineering, and Innovation SEEK 4 page 10 Team Based Engineering and Manufacturing Field trips and Recreations page 11 Biosketch page 12 SEEK 1 SEEK 2 SEEK 3 SEEK 4 2
- 3. In the summer of 2015, Kent School successfully held its fourth annual Summer Edu- cational Experience at Kent (SEEK), under the supervision of Dr. Ben Nadire, director of the Wentz Pre-Engineering Program. Supplementing a liberal arts education with the Wentz Pre-Engineering and SEEK programs, Kent School uniquely prepares students for modern challenges and careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. Exposure to en- gineering and entrepreneurship through Kent’s programs sparks interest and motivates students to creatively answer the challenges facing our increasingly globalized society. In only four years, Kent has increased the variety and doubled the number of SEEK programs offered. SEEK has instructed over 200 students. SEEK is held in collaboration with U. Penn’s Wharton School of Business, Harvard University, and Georgia Tech’s Integrated Product Lifestyle Engineering (ILPE) Labo- ratory, and TeamBusiness. In Brief A walk through SEEK 2015 3
- 4. Every time the students thought they were comfortable with their companies and means of production, André added a twist. He introduced technology, driving companies to discover and implement more cost-effective, efficient methods of production. When higher outputs led to dimin- ished quality, he established a varying cost-per-unit, forcing companies to reevaluate the course of great- est profit, ultimately leading to contrasting (and still successful) company practices. “How to Start a Business” centered around experiential learning: the workshop provided a scenario where students discovered a wealth of economic and business concepts from a variety of perspectives. The understanding of perspectives and interests in the context of competitive business allowed them to make informed, ethical decisions that benefitted all members of their company. André van der Bergh Upon arriving on Monday afternoon to the Pre-Engineering and Applied Sciences Center in Kent, the participants for SEEK 1 and SEEK 2 participated in an introductory workshop on “How to Start a Business,” led by André van der Bergh of Team Business. The students formed groups of five or six, simulating competing companies that pro- duce handmade paper boxes. They were exposed to the realities of start- ing businesses as costs of supplies and production consumed initial funds. With André’s guidance, the students had to quickly and efficiently discuss strengths and weaknesses of each member’s role in production to maximize the output of boxes. As each round (or “month” of business) passed, each team tracked their costs, revenues, supplies, profits, and product output, then modified their supply and materials to become the most prof- itable company. When a new student arrived between rounds, André’s question to the companies was not “Who wants another group member?” but “To whom can he add value?” Some groups reconsid- ered after discussing and realizing how another employee could negatively affect their business. André van der Bergh purchases paper boxes from the student’s company SEEK 1&2 June 8th “How to Start a Business’ 4
- 5. Gregory Bedrosian (P ’14), CEO of Redwood Capital, presented the introductory Keynote address centering on his experience with Entrepreneurship, the role of Entrepreneurs in a global economy, and a comparison between the most successful innovators and entrepreneurs of the modern world. Bedrosian stressed to the students that many ideas and start ups may not succeed, but a few may be- come wildly successful, defining an entrepreneur’s ca- reer. Even ideas with humble origins, such as his son’s (Nick ’14) YouTube channel, “Endless Football,” can “go viral” and attract the attention of NFL corporate sponsors, creating revenue from their advertisements. Bedrosian then discussed entrepreneurial aspects of the careers and companies of Andrew Car- negie, John Rockefeller, JP Morgan, and Eleuthere du Pont, comparing them to technological innovators Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, Larry Page, and Sergey Brin. Using the famous entrepreneurs as exam- ples, Bogosian conveyed the importance of the people, opportunity, and agreements, centered around the context of technology, industry, and economy that ul- timately leads to a successful business. Drawing from several thought-provoking quotes, Bedrosian inspired the students to think creatively, work collaboratively, and take responsible entrepreneurial risks. Gregory Bedrosian (P ’14) Keynote Address Gregory Bedrosian presents the keynote address SEEK 1&2 June 8th 5
- 6. An alliance presents their robots CNC Milling Machine in use by students A student designs a VEX Robot An audience gathers for the final VEX match Dr. Ben Nadire Mike Benjamin Matt Heslop Jenna Hobeika Cortney Tetrault Bjorn Runquist After the combined introductory sessions with the SEEK 2 students, SEEK 1 began Tuesday morn- ing with Bjorn Runquist’s unique artistic approach to Engineering. He acquainted the students with horizons and point perspective, discussing how the design process can facilitate idea development, espe- cially in collaborative environments, when accurately represented on paper. As Runquist provided creative advice and tips, the students practiced drawing in two (or three, for the more daring) point perspective. The SEEK 1 students then split into four smaller groups to begin the intensive, team based sessions on prototyping, machining, robotics, and circuits & programming. Jenna Hobeika and Dr. Nadire guided the students in prototyping, where the students used SolidWorks software to design parts and components to be 3D printed. Mike Benjamin instructed the students in circuits and programming using Arduino microprocessors. The students began by building simple circuits that turn an LED on and off, then rapidly progressed to more complex circuits that incorporated components sensitive to the envi- ronment. By connecting their microprocessors to a computer, students programmed their circuits to react to changes in light, temperature, or distance by activating LED’s or a small speaker. Matt Heslop led the Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machining and milling group. He showed the students how to precisely design using coordinates, safely prepare and operate the milling machine, and program the ma- chine to produce a design. Cortney Tetrault supervised the VEX robotics sessions, where the groups built and modified robots to compete in a “Sack Attack” tournament. At the end of the week, SEEK 1 joined the audience for the SEEK 2 business presentation. All SEEK 1 groups then presented a unique aspect of their week. Some groups discussed the programs, circuits, and 3D models they created, others focused on the VEX robotics and the challenges they overcame while designing, building, competing, and modifying their robots. SEEK 1 con- cluded with the Championship VEX matches and an award ceremony. SEEK1 June 8th -June 12th Pre-Engineering 6
- 7. Team Brainstorming Session Professor Weigelt introduces the student teams Students present their business plan Keith Weigelt Stacy L. Franks The Seek 2 sessions, led by Professor Keith Wei- gelt, Director of the Field Application Project (FAP) at The Wharton School, developed students’ entrepreneur- ial, financial, and communication abilities with sessions exploring competitive environments, sales, marketing, budgeting, accounting, operations, and human resource management. The students formed teams to brainstorm busi- ness plans, some eventually marketing their ideas to Kent staff and alumni over alumni weekend. With Weigelt’s guidance, SEEK 2 collaboratively created a business plan for a frozen yogurt shop in Kent. Small groups were assigned to research, analyze, and present aspects of the start up, including projected costs, pricing, revenue, supplies, implementation, operations, and marketing. At the end of the week, the students superbly presented their company, “Kentarctic Yoghurt,” The First Frozen Yoghurt Shop at Kent, to an audience of their peers in SEEK 1 and 2, instructors, parents, faculty and staff of Kent School, and potential investors. Following the presentation and award ceremony, the audience moved across the building for the SEEK 1 presentations and tournament. SEEK3 June 8th - June 12th Entrepreneurship 7
- 8. Dr. Sujata Bhatia Dr. Suzanne Lefebvre Jeremy Sokolnicki Mike Benjamin In SEEK 3, the students explored biotechnology, biomed- ical engineering, engineering for sustainability, circuits and elec- tronics, and business to address grand challenges for global devel- opment. Dr. Sujata Bhatia started their week with a brief history of engineering and a museum trip to the Connecticut Antique Machinery and Mining Museum in Kent. Director John Pawloski taught the group about important regional engineering innova- tions and showed off the Museum’s fine collections of mining and agricultural equipment. Quickly transitioning to the present, Dr. Bhatia introduced the students to global challenges, biomedical engineering, and biochemical engineering, focusing on the scientific approach in her sessions. The SEEK students then applied these principles to Jeremy Sokolnicki’s lab sessions, where they tested food sam- ples for the presence of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Building on their biomedical study, the students visited the Sharon Hospital ER, where Dr. Suzanne Lefebvre demonstrated practical applications of biomedical technology. Mike Benjamin instructed the SEEK 3 students in circuits and programming using Arduino microprocessors. The students first built simple circuits, then rapidly progressed to more com- plex circuits that incorporated components sensitive to the envi- ronment. They progressed with a session on energy systems and sustainability and a visit to a local sustainable farm and the Bulls Bridge hydroelectric canal and power station. Dr. Bhatia led a session on business development to in- struct students on innovation and engineering in an economic context. To see innovation in action, SEEK 3 toured the very successful and rapidly growing Harney & Sons Teas factory in Mil- lerton, New York. Co-owner Mike Harney led a factory tour and taught students about the scientific basis for growing, harvesting, and processing teas, while also demonstrating several tea sorting and packaging machines. Throughout the week, students worked in teams on inde- pendent engineering proposals. The week concluded with im- pressive group presentations covering stem cell cancer therapy, a process for improving the treatment of superficial wounds, a drug regimen designed to reduce obesity, and a means for creating mechanized, sustainable farms. Building circuits with the microprocessors Stem Cell Therapy presentation Students measure water flow at the Bulls Bridge hydroelectric canal and power station SEEK3 June 14th -June 19th Interdisciplinary Science, Engineering and Innovation 8
- 9. On Wednesday, the students of SEEK 1 and SEEK 2 visited the TRUMPF Farming- ton manufacturing campus. We began with a presentation from Trumpf representatives on their international business, products, and flexibility of manufactured metal parts. In a tour of the facilities, representatives from the company showcased their industrial lasers, manufacturing process, and sheet metal fabri- cation machines. The students greatly benefitted from learning about the complex process of pro- duction and challenges large companies face. Several students even had creative responses and solutions to streamline their manufactur- ing process! After the tour, we returned to the Customer and Tech Center for a demonstra- tion of the TruLaser and TruPunch machines fabricating parts from sheet metal. Throughout the three weeks of SEEK, we had some time to relax, explore the Kent community, and play soccer, minigolf, volley- ball, billiards, Go, and chess. SEEK1-4 SEEK 1 & SEEK2 visit Trumpf Facilities Field trips and Recreation SEEK 3 & SEEK 4 visit Harney & Sons Tea factory SEEK 3 at the Marble Valley Farm SEEK 4 Minigolf in Danbury Students from SEEK3 and SEEK4 tested their wits against each other in Chess and Go SEEK 4 watching Mike Roberts flying a Aerosky C17 Hexacopter 9
- 10. Mike Roberts Chris Duffy Robert Knapp Dr. Nadire Liam Nadire In the two week program, SEEK 4 students focused on a team based “Co-create, Design, Build, and Operate” (CDBO) manufacturing cycle, developed by Dr. Daniel Schrage, director of Georgia Tech’s Product Lifecycle Engineering (IPLE) Laboratory. The teams faced three competitive challenges: VEX Robotics “Sack Attack” matches, helicopter blade design, and a robot terrain challenge. The challenges, running simultane- ously over the two weeks, required continual redesign, modification, and testing to succeed. In the first week, the students began the VEX robotics challenge by operating six of the construct- ed robots from SEEK 1. A “Sack Attack” tournament quickly revealed strengths and weaknesses of each robot. A few teachers from the Kent Center School and Cornwall Consolidated School joined the students to build their own VEX robots. Influence (or lack there- of) from earlier robots was apparent as they tested and modified their new designs. Over the weekend, they competed in another tournament, complete with a championship round. The SEEK 4 groups also pro- grammed the robots for the autonomous section of the VEX competition. In the second week, SEEK 4 focused on a ter- rain and a helicopter challenge. The terrain challenge required robots to drive over three types terrain (foam, beads, and blocks) autonomously. The students built the robots using Lego Mindstorms and created wheels with 3D printers and Computer Aided Three-dimen- sional Interactive Application (CATIA), developed by Dassault Systèmes. The helicopter blade design challenged focused on the ideal shape of a rotor. Students’ designs had to maximize downward thrust while minimizing drag on the blades. After Mike Roberts and Chris Duffy taught the students basic aerodynamic principles for helicopter operation, the students digitally designed their blades in a state of the art Computer-Aided Design (CAD) software (CATIA, developed by Dassault Systèmes) and fabricated them with a precision 3D printer. Joshua Szwed, science teacher at Kent Center School, teams up with a student to put the final touches on their VEX Clawbot before a competition Christopher Duffy explains the RC whirl stand ex- periment, which uses electronic sensors to measure the performance of the 3D printed helicopter blades Students competing in the ground robot challenge SEEK4 June 14th - June 26th Team based Engineering and Manufacturing After testing the lift and drag capabilities, stu- dents modified their designs in multiple iterations, dis- covering the manufacturing trade offs between design and manufacturing. On Thursday, we were able to test and fly the Aerosky Hexacopter on the Headmaster’s Fields. At the end of the two weeks, the SEEK 4 stu- dents proudly presented their final products, which excelled in the challenges 10
- 11. Björn Runquist was born in Stockholm, Swe- den, grew up in New York and spent his high school years in France before returning to the U.S. for college. Upon completion of college he moved to London, England where he taught English as a second language and re- ceived a Master’s degree from Kings College, University, of London. For the past 37 years he has worked as teacher and artist splitting his time between Maine and Connecticut and now a permanent resident of Maine. His work as an artist covers a range of mediums and styles from abstract to figurative. He is in the permanent collection of the Farnsworth Museum and has exhibited widely in galler- ies on the East Coast from Florida to Maine, including the Caldbeck in Rockland, the Connecticut Biennial at the Bruce Museum in Greenwich, The Center for Maine Contem- porary Art in Rockport, and the Allan Stone Gallery in New York. He is in many private and corporate collections and has a number of paintings in the State Department’s Arts in Embassies program which places art in U.S. Embassies around the world. He is currently represented by Landing Gallery in Rockland, ME and Horton Hayes in Charleston, SC. He was featured in Maine Home & Design in April 2010 and listed as one of Maine’s 60 artists “to collect now, while you can”. He was also featured again in Maine Home & Design in the August 2010 issue. His work can be seen at his website: “bjornrunquist.com”. Mike Benjamin taught Biology, Chemistry, Ecology, and AP Environmental Science at Kent School for ten years. He previously served as Director of Sustainability at South Kent School, where he taught Advanced Environmental Science, managed energy conservation initiatives, and negotiated contracts for several rooftop photovolta- ic arrays. Prior to his teaching career, he worked in the environmental consulting industry, managing regional recycling programs in the Greater Boston area. Mr. Benjamin is a graduate of Middlebury College and he holds a Master of Environ- mental Science degree from Yale Universi- ty’s School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. Ms. Jenna Hobeika Björn Runquist Mike Benjamin Ms. Cortney Tetrault holds The Class of 2000 Teaching Chair at Kent school. Ms. Tetrault joined the Kent School faculty in 2007. She graduated from Phillips Acad- emy in 2003 and earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree from Wesleyan University in 2007 with a double major in neurosci- ence/behavior and biology. Cortney was a tri-varsity athlete at Andover and became a standout athlete in two sports at Wesleyan. She served as the captain of the Wesleyan field hockey team in 2006 and earned a variety of honors, including First Team All-NESCAC and Third Team All-Ameri- can; she was also 2nd Team All-NESCAC in lacrosse at Wesleyan. At Kent School Cortney teaches Honors Chemistry 1 and AP Psychology. Additionally, she is the associate director of admissions. She has been a faculty resident of Case Dormitory, and covered duties in Dining Hall Dorm, and currently is the dorm head of Hoerle Hall South. She skillfully supervises both the girls and the boys. Cortney is the head coach of varsity field hockey and girls varsity lacrosse. She also an avid equestrian and enjoys eventing with her horse. Matt Heslop ’04 Ms. Cortney Tetrault Matt Heslop ‘04 is a member of Kent School Mathematics Department. He earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s in manufacturing at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. He received a Wentz Fellowship 2011-12. While at WPI, Matt received the Outstanding Student Award (2007) from the Society of Manufacturing Engineers. He teaches “Manufacturing” course and is a member of the Pre-engineering commit- tee at Kent. In 2014, he was awarded the Wagenkneckt-Buttitta travel scholarship to investigate the effects of the Word Cup on Brazil’s society. Dr. Ben Nadire received a Fulbright Scholarship and earned a Ph.D. in Optimal Control Theory from North- eastern University and a Doctorate in Applied and Pure Mathematics from the University of Montpellier, France. He served as the Chair of the Kent Mathe- matics Department for one year. He is the founder and coordinator of the SEEK (Summer Educational Experience at Kent) program and the founding director of Kent’s Pre-Engineering Program. Prior to coming to Kent School in 1997, he held teaching positions overseas and at Northeastern University and Bunker Hill Community College. Dr. Nadire runs the Vex Robotics program, taught the Struc- tures course and teaches Mathematics at Kent. He was nominated for a Presiden- tial Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) in 2003 and the Presidential Microsoft Innova- tive Teaching with Technology Award in 2005. Dr. Ben Nadire SEEK1 Ms. Jenna Hobeika is a new addition to Kent School’s Math Department and to the Pre-Engineering Program. Jenna graduated from The Hotchkiss School as a tri-varsity athlete and went on to play ice hockey at Dartmouth College. She served as captain of the Dartmouth ice hockey team for two consecutive seasons, 2011-2012 and 2012-2013. She was named to the ECAC ALL-Academic Team five years in a row from 2009-2013 and was named to the Academic All-Ivy Team in 2011, 2012, and 2013. At Dartmouth, she earned a BA and BE in mechanical engi- neering. Jenna worked as a teaching assis- tance in the Thayer School of Engineering Machine Shop from 2011-2013 where she learned skills in 3D printing, machining, and CAD prototyping. At Kent, Jenna teaches math as well as the Structures and Engineering Design courses. She is an assistant coach to the girls’ varsity field hockey and ice hockey teams and is a mentor for Kent School’s FIRST Robotics team. She also advises the Coding Club. Biosketch of Instructors 11
- 12. Ms. Stacy L. Franks Associate Director Field Application Project Keith Weigelt is the Marks-Darivoff Family Professor of Strat- egy at The Wharton School, and a Professor of Education at The Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania. He is the course head of Management 653 – Field Application Project (FAP). The class is one of applied strategy and is taken by over 300 MBAs each year. Keith is a game theorist and his teaching focuses on the theory’s relevance to the business world. He is the recipient of Wharton School Excellence in Teaching Awards for both his negotiation and strategy classes. Keith has extensive experience in the social impact field. He has worked extensively with microfinance institutions both in the United States and abroad. He teaches classes on both microfinance and the management of disaster relief. Keith has assumed the role of an activist professor. He is the founder and director of Building Bridges to Wealth (BBTW) (www.buildingbridgestowealth.org). BBTW is an innovative Wharton-based program that teaches business literacy to grammar and high school students and to adults. The goal of the program is to increase the wealth of families living in inner city neighborhoods. Over 900 adults have taken the adult business literacy program. Classes are free and and held either in the evening or on weekends. BBTW’s program is unique because it offers participants the opportunity to form communities of wealth after graduation. The communities are composed of peer-to-peer savings groups, mutual fund invest- ing groups, and a microloan fund. Over 400 participants have contributed roughly $60,000 to investing groups as of April, 2014. The current savings group has over sixty members and will generate a lending pool of over $30,000. Professor Weigelt has published numerous articles in manage- ment and economics journals. He is the co-author of Mana- gerial Economics (seventh edition) a book that is the category leader in the global education market. His articles have also appeared in several books and the popular press. Professor Keith Weigelt Director Field Application Project SEEK2 Stacy L. Franks has been the Associate Director of The Field Application Project (FAP) & Wharton Field Challenge (WFC) since 2000. MGMT 653/353 is a program designed to inte- grate classroom learning of Wharton MBA & Ugrad students. As teams of students, they apply what they have learned to the problems of organizations to develop meaningful managerial action plans. FAP develops students’ expertise at addressing and framing unstructured problems, for which a single set of techniques or conceptual lenses will not suffice. As Associate Director, she is in charge of logistics with the host organizations, students as well as faculty. She also started a program with other Centers across campus where projects are recruited and listed under specific sub-headings, like, Social Impact, Retailing, Sports Business, Design & Architecture. This has proven extremely popular with the students. Stacy is also responsible for the Financial Literacy program for high school & elementary school children as well as a digital literacy program. She also runs the Building Bridges program for adult education. Stacy has worked at the University since 1997. She holds a BA in Psychology & Biology. Currently pursuing Master’s at the University of Pennsylvania in Organizational Dynamics. Lara Azzam has worked in the telecommunications sector in sales and marketing since 1991. Early in Lara’s career, she gained extensive marketing experience including customer communications, direct acquisition and retention marketing, marketing strategy and marketing campaign performance analysis. Following those years, she moved into sales and sales operations. She was responsible for business process redesign and the development of a web based work flow management application for a high technology sales organization. Most re- cently, she has provided B2B business development for clients. Lara founded the US operation for Team Business and is responsible for launching the Team Business product portfo- lio in the US marketplace. Lara holds an MBA from Wharton Business School and a Masters in International Studies from Lauder Institute. André van der Bergh Vice President Programs and Lead Facilitator, Team Business, USA Lara Azzam President Team Business, USA Prior to embarking on a career as a facilitator of Team Business programs, André was intimately involved in the retail industry in South Africa and the Middle East for more than 25 years, specializing in process re-engineering and automation. In 1998, André began implementing Team Business programs for his retail clients with tremendous results – for example, one of his clients took 6,000 staff through the program as a part of a successful turn-around initiative. André is certified to facili- tate all the programs in the Team Business portfolio and is the primary facilitator in the United States. Biosketch of Instructors 12
- 13. SEEK3 • Assistant Director for Undergraduate Studies in Biomedical Engineering • Harvard Yearbook Favorite Professor - Class of 2015 • Harvard Yearbook Favorite Professor - Class of 2014 • Lecturer on Biomedical Engineering • Associate, Harvard Kennedy School of Government • Assistant Dean, Harvard Summer School • Administrative Fellow, Office of the Assistant to the President, Harvard University Sujata K. Bhatia, MD, PhD, PE is a physician, bioengineer, and professionally licensed chemical engineer who serves on the teaching faculty of biomedical engineering and executive education at Harvard University. She is the Assistant Director for Undergraduate Studies in Biomedical Engineering at Harvard, the academic advisor for all Harvard undergraduate students in bioengineering and biomedical engineering, and a Lecturer on Biomedical Engi- neering. In addition, she is an Associate of the Harvard Kennedy School of Government for the Science, Technology, and Globalization Project. She works with students on projects for medical innovation in Africa, as well as global engineering education. She is a faculty member in the Harvard Kennedy School Executive ducation program on Innovation for Economic Development. Sujata has personally mentored several Harvard undergraduates to complete innovative research and design projects that advance the field of bioengineering. She has served as an Assistant Dean for the Harvard Summer School, for summer sessions in 2012, 2013, and 2014. Sujata graduated from the University of Delaware in 1999 with bachelor’s degrees in biology, biochemistry and chemical engineering and a master’s degree in chemical engineering; she earned all four degrees in only four years. Sujata then trained in the MD/PhD combined degree program at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and graduated in 2003, completing both degrees in four years. In 2012, she was selected as a Resident Fellow in the Harvard Administrative Fellowship Program, a program that prepares administrators for leadership positions in the university. In 2013, Sujata represented the United States at the Global Grand Challenges Summit, a joint initiative of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering, the U.K. Royal Academy of Engineering, and the Chinese Academy of Engineering. In 2013, she was selected by the U.S. National Academy of Engineering for Frontiers of Engineering Education, a recognition for the most innovative engineer- ing educators in the nation. In 2014, she was chosen by the American Society for Engineering Education for the “20 Under 40” list of top twenty engineering educators in the nation under the age of 40. She was voted by students as a Harvard Yearbook Favorite Professor for two years in a row. Dr. Sujata Bhatia Jeremy Sokolnicki is a graduate of Choate Rosemary Hall and of Hamilton College. Prior to joining the Kent School faculty, Jer- emy was a Senior Research Associate at Weill Medical College. He has been teaching science at Kent School since 2003. Jeremy teaches Honors Biology, Genetics, and Biotechnology and also coaches cross country and golf. He served as a dorm resident and also as Assistant Dean for four years, shepherding the class of 2011 through their Kent experience. Jeremy lives on the Kent School campus with his wife, Megan, a member of Kent’s Ad- missions Staff, and their two children. Mike Benjamin (See SEEK1) Dr. Suzanne LeFebvre, Kent School Physician Jeremy Sokolnicki Biosketch of Instructors 13
- 14. SEEK4 Dr. Daniel P. Schrage Professor and Director, VLRCOE and IPLE Laboratory School of Aerospace Engineering Georgia Institute of Technology Education: B.S. General Engineering, USMA, West Point, NY, 1967 M.S. Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 1974 M.A. Business Administration, Webster University, St. Louis, MO, 1975 D.Sc. Mechanical Engineering, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, 1978 Summary of Expertise and Experience: Dr. Schrage is a professor in the School of Aerospace Engineering and Director of the U.S. Army Vertical Lift Research Center of Excellence (VLRCOE), a position he has held since 1986. Prior to coming to Georgia Tech in 1984, Dr. Schrage served as an Army aviator, engineer, manager and senior executive servant with the U.S. Army Aviation Systems Command (AVSCOM) for ten years. As a dynamics, vibrations and aeroelastici- ty engineer he served as the Army’s expert in these areas during the design and development of all the Army’s major aviation systems, including the UH-60 Black Hawk, the AH-64 Apache, the CH-47D Chinook, and the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopters, as well as major upgrades to Army Aviation fixed wing aircraft, such as the RU-21D, and OV-1D Mohawk. In addition, he served as the dynamics evaluator and technical area chief on Army Aviation major Source Selection Evaluation Boards (SSEBs), that led to the development of these sys- tems. As the Chief of the Structures and Aeromechanics Division, AVSCOM Dr. Schrage oversaw the airworthi- ness qualification and engineering development efforts for all new and upgraded Army aviation systems and provided engineering support to the program managers for these systems. As the Director for Advanced Systems and the Associate Technical Director at SES Level 3, Dr. Schrage oversaw the Command’s Science and Technology program, a joint program with NASA which was the largest in the Army, and also led the concept development for new systems, such as the LHX, which led to the devel- opment of the RAH-66 Comanche helicopter. Dr. Schrage also served on a temporary assignment as the Chief Scientist for the Army’s Combined Arms Center (CAC) and was an active duty Army aviator/commander and field artillery battery commander with combat experience in Southeast Asia. Also, during the 1980s and 1990s, Dr. Schrage served as a consultant for the Army (Army Science Board twice), Air Force (Air Force Studies Board), the Institute for Defense Analysis (IDA), NASA and industry. As a member of the National Center for Advanced Technologies (NCAT) Executive Committee in the 1990s, Dr. Schrage defined the Integrated Product/Process Development (IPPD) methodology that was taught by NCAT through short courses and video based instruction for the Army, Navy and industry as part of the DoD acquisition reform effort. Dr Schrage has written a number of book chapters, has over 100 referred publications, and is a Fellow of both the AHS and AIAA. Biosketch of Instructors 14
- 15. SEEK4 Mike Roberts is a Research Engi- neer at Georgia Tech, specializing in helicopter design, engineering software design, and STEM edu- cation. He obtained his Master's degree in aerospace engineering from GT in 2014, and is passion- ate both about engineering work and about teaching others about it. His current research work includes projects using UAV design for education, 3D printing and rapid manufacturing, and aerospace technology portfolio optimization for NASA. In his free time, he loves tinkering with robots, flying quadcopters, and competitive sailing. Christopher Duffy is a Graduate Research Assistant at Georgia In- stitute of Technology. In 2014 he graduated from Georgia Institute of Technology with a Bachelors of Science in Aerospace Engi- neering. Currently he is working towards obtaining his Masters Degree in Aerospace Engineer- ing. Christopher’s current re- search interests include Vehicle Flight Dynamics, Certification, and Control System Design. Robert Knapp, from Seaford, NY, is a rising senior at the College of Engineering at The University of New Haven in Connecticut. He is studying Mechanical Engineering and will receive his Bachelors of Science in that field of study in the summer of 2016. Robert is an Eagle Scout, an E-Board member of his local school chapter of the American Society of Mechani- cal Engineers (ASME), a Pi Tau Sigma member (the national mechanical engineers honors so- ciety), and works on the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) supermilage car competition for his university’s annual entry. He was at Kent for the duration of the SEEK 4 program to learn how to assist the Georgia Tech in- structors when they run a similar program at the University of New Haven in July. Robert Knapp Christopher DuffyMike Roberts Ryan Glenn ‘12 is pursuing a Bachelors of Arts Degree in Phys- ics and a minor in Mathematics at Hamilton College (‘16). Born and raised in McAllen, Texas, he attended Kent School from 2009 to 2012, where he played the drums and percussion, soccer, hockey, and lacrosse. In his se- nior year, he served as the Sac- ristan and won the Kelly Newton Award. In college, he captains the Hamilton Club Hockey team and plays drums in the Hamilton Jazz Ensemble. At Hamilton, he has studied Classical and Quan- tum Mechanics, Condensed Mat- ter, Astronomy, Electricity and Magnetism, Circuits, and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance. Ryan Glenn ‘12 Liam Nadire Liam Nadire ’15 is pursuing a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering at Union College in Schenectady, NY. At Kent he participated in squash, tennis, mountain biking, road biking, jazz band and con- cert band. He twice received the Cauldron Photography award. He also received a Pre-Engineering certificate and recognition for his membership in the Tri M Music Honor Society. Photography has fascinated Liam since he was young. He started taking photographs when he was nine years old and sold his first photograph at his first gallery show at age ten. Liam grew into an accomplished photographer in middle school, where he received awards and displayed his works in multiple galleries. While at Kent, one of his photographs received the Gold Key, Best in Show at the Connecticut Scholas- tic Art Awards. Biosketch of Instructors Cont’d 15