July 13, 2012
Student is one of three in nation to win award
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- A student from Southern Illinois has received an award for his achievements in nondestructive testing and engineering.
Caleb McGee, a senior in mechanical engineering in the College of Engineering at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, won the 2012 Engineering Undergraduate Award from the American Society for Nondestructive Testing. McGee is one of just three students nationwide to achieve this recognition.
McGee received the award for his knowledge of practices, problems, challenges and other aspects of the nondestructive testing industry, gained through his work with SIU Carbondale experts and facilities.
McGee, the son of Glenn and Julie McGee of Carterville, worked with Tsuchin Philip Chu, professor of mechanical engineering and energy processes. in SIU Carbondale’s Intelligent Measurement and Evaluation Laboratory. McGee said it was there that he had the opportunity to do research in the field of nondestructive evaluation, gaining the knowledge and access to experts in the field necessary to win the award.
McGee worked on testing components with applications in aerospace, such as carbon fiber reinforced plastic panels using immersion ultrasound technology and infrared thermography, in which researchers heat a sample and measure its response using an infrared camera. He also worked on testing carbon-carbon composite aircraft brake discs using an air-coupled ultrasound system. The system makes it possible to test the samples without exposing them to water or other coupling agents, such as gels.