SPSU professors present stadium horn research
Dr. Richard Ruhala, associate professor and program director of the Mechanical Engineering Department, and his wife, Dr. Laura Ruhala, also an associate professor in the Division of Engineering, traveled to San Diego, last week to present their research on vuvuzelas, the horns made popular by the 2010 World Cup, at the Acoustical Society of America (ASA) Conference.

The Ruhalas teamed up with researchers from Georgia Tech to study the effect of these loud horns on hearing and found that the sound levels at the player’s ears from single horns ranged from 90 to 105 decibels. The horn’s impact is greatest when blown simultaneously with many others, such as at the World Cup. This research documented that the levels within a stadium may well approach 120 decibels.

“For perspective, 100 decibels is the level of noise typically heard at a rock concert. An ambulance siren or pneumatic jack hammer produce about the same level of noise as the vuvuzelas in a stadium – 120 decibels – which is at the threshold of feeling [the sound] and produces a ticklish sensation in your ears,” said Dr. Richard Ruhala, who holds a doctorate in acoustics.

“The threshold of pain is 140 decibels. Sustained exposure to 120 decibels is 1,000 times the acoustic energy that causes hearing loss [with longterm exposure]. That’s why the Occupational Safety and Health Administration requires people working near those noise levels to wear hearing protection.”

CSWE Department receives software donation
Dr. Jeff Chastine, associate professor in the Computer Science and Software Engineering Department recently secured a donation of the software Perforce for the department. Perforce is a software configuration management system that is used in many industries, including the gaming industry, and by companies such as Electronic Arts, Sony Online Entertainment, Nintendo, Valve, CCP Games, Sega and Ubisoft.

“Perforce will enable students to collaboratively develop software using centralized repositories for their code, art, sound and other assets,” Dr. Chastine said. “It also gives them experience using a professional software configuration management system.”

Rolling out the red carpet for donated robots
SPSU officially welcomed $4.5 million worth of new robotic equipment to the campus with an unveiling and reception on Nov. 10 in the Mechatronics Lab.

The robots were donated to the university by Suncoast Post Tension Ltd. of Texas with the help of SPSU Alumni Board member Glynn Mitchell.

During the program, Prof. Glenn Allen, recently retired director of the university’s mechatronics program, received professor emeritus status.

SPSUTeach welcomes new faculty, staff
Dr. George Stickel and Dr. Alan Gabrielli, co-directors of the new SPSUTeach program, which officially kicks off in the spring, are pleased to welcome the following new faculty and staff members to the program:

Laura Speer has been appointed the university’s master teacher in mathematics. Speer holds a master's degree in mathematics education from the University of Toledo and a specialist degree in educational leadership from Lincoln Memorial University. She taught high school math for 12 years at Pope High School in Cobb County.

Michael O’Brien is the university’s new master teacher in physics. O’Brien holds a master's degree in science education from Georgia State University and a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Carleton University (Ottawa, Canada). He has taught high school physics for 10 years, including four years at Kennesaw Mountain High School and six years at Taipei American School and International School of Kuala Lumpur.

Marka Ormsby has been hired as a technology specialist. She obtained her Bachelor of Science in Geology from Emory University and a Master of Science in Geophysical Sciences from Georgia Tech. After 20 years spent at Chevron in earth science and information technology, Ormsby joined her sister, Robin Daniel, in the tech department at The Walker School in Marietta.

Robin Daniel has also been hired as a technology specialist. She received a mechanical engineering degree from Georgia Tech and has worked as a staff engineer at Ralston Purina, an aircraft performance engineer at Delta Airlines, and as director of technology for The Walker School. At Walker, Daniel spent 15 years working closely with teachers, students and administrators to develop a relevant and integrated technology program.

SPSU celebrates at Taste of Georgia
Dr. Khalid Siddiqi, chair of the Construction Management Department, recently participated in the fourth annual Taste of Georgia, held at the Atlanta Civic Center last month.

The event celebrated the years of friendship between the state of Georgia and the Russian country of Georgia. SPSU has a cooperative agreement with International Black Sea University located in the capital city of Tbilisi, Georgia.

Attendees enjoyed traditional Georgian food, desserts and beverages with guest of honor Ambassador Temuri Yakobashvili of Georgia.

The event was supported by Atlanta-Tbilisi Sister City Committee; the Georgia to Georgia Foundation; and Hall, Booth, Smith and Slover, P.C.

Proceeds from the event benefited children in the country of Georgia.

SPSU Swim Team making waves
The SPSU Swim Team, launched in March 2011 by SPSU students Megan Linsmayer and Elizabeth Cook, is already off to a great start.

The team competed in its first swim meet at the University of Georgia where it placed eighth overall. The swimmers improved greatly for their second swim meet at Georgia Southern University where they placed fourth overall, beating other universities like Mercer and Georgia State. Also at this meet, SPSU students Matthew Ferguson and SPSU Swim Club Co-President Linsmayer each placed third for his/her individual overall scores.

The SPSU swim team consists of about 20 people who attend practices and swim meets regularly. Kellie Blosser, assistant director of Recreational Sports, is the swim team adviser; however students Linsmayer, Cook and Catherine Reece coach the team and coordinate practices and meets.

The final swim meet for SPSU will take place at the University of Miami (Fla.) on Nov. 19.

SPSU baseball player named ‘Finest in the Field’
SPSU senior and Hornets’ baseball outfielder DeMarcus Tidwell, a business administration major, recently received the 2011 Rawlings Finest in the Field Award for his summer play with the Eau Claire Express, a team in the Northwoods League.

The Northwoods summer league is comprised of teams of top college players with NCAA eligibility from across the nation and North America. Each team is operated similarly to a professional minor league team, providing players an opportunity to play under the same conditions using wooden bats and minor league specification baseballs, staying overnight on road trips and playing nightly before fans.

The Finest in the Field Award recognizes the top fielders in each position. Tidwell compiled a field percentage of 0.991.

Last season, as an SPSU Hornet, Tidwell had a batting average of 0.364 and a field percentage of 0.962.

Rawlings rewards its honorees with a special Rawlings baseball glove mounted on an engraved trophy base.

2011 Fall Career Expo sees record turnout
Every year SPSU’s Career and Counseling Center hosts a Fall Career Expo that connects students and alumni with employers for internships, co-ops and full-time positions after graduation. This year’s event on Oct. 12 drew more than 500 students and alumni. The large turnout packed the Student Center Ballroom and lobby and included more than 59 employers, ranging from AT&T to Turner Broadcasting.

Phyllis Weatherly, director of the Career and Counseling Center, said “Those who attended were prepared and well-dressed, and the companies were very impressed.” She also said that some companies have already scheduled multiple interviews and follow-ups with students.

Warning: We ‘break’ for turkey!
The Hornet’s Nest will take a break next week as the campus population dwindles for the Thanksgiving holiday. The newsletter will resume production on Nov. 30. Happy Thanksgiving to one and all!

Have news to share?
If your department has an upcoming event or other news to share with the campus community, please send an e-mail with all the pertinent information to Diane Payne (dpayne@spsu.edu). To be considered for use in a specific issue of the SPSU Hornet’s Nest, a news item must be submitted no less than four weeks before the date of the issue.

Volume 4, Issue 44
Nov. 16, 2011