"TURBULENCE"

At about the same time that UB and Stanford were working together to prepare for "Bodyworks," William K. George, Ph.D., formerly UB professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, was trying to figure out how to participate in an National Science Foundation program at the Institute for Theoretical Physics at the University of California-Santa Barbara (UCSB) while continuing to teach his graduate course on turbulence at UB.

The result was a cooperative effort with faculty members from five institutions -- including UB and UCSB -- participating. For two hours each week, George lectured live to students from the participating universities; other faculty members and guest lecturers researching turbulence at the Institute of Theoretical Physics also participated.

According to the students, the guest interviews, which never would have been part of a regular course, were the highlight.

In a paper about the course that was delivered at the International Conference of Engineering Education in Taiwan in August, the UB instructors and technical staff noted: "The students received an exposure to ideas far beyond the scope of a normal course. Many of the top researchers in the area now are familiar faces to them. This both inspired them and should facilitate their entry into the technical arena."