By CARSON HUFFSTUTTER

ceh017@latech.edu

 

Three new faculty members joined the ranks in the College of Engineering and Sciences.

Luke Soo-won Lee, Ray McKinney and Patrick O’Neal are just a few of the new additions.

“I’m really looking forward to getting some more interaction with the students,” Lee, an assistant professor of civil engineering, said. “Here I [will] contribute to a really growing place.”

Lee, a native of California, received his bachelor’s from University of California-Los Angeles, his master’s from the University of California-Berkeley in civil engineering and his doctorate from the University of California-San Diego in structural engineering.

Lee said he is scheduled to teach classes in the winter quarter, but for now, he is focusing on his research.

“I want to be here,” Lee said. “I would like to build a research program that brings cutting edge ideas to the classroom.”

McKinney, a professor of mechanical engineering, said he observed engineering professors last year to become acquainted with what he would be doing.

He graduated from Tech with his bachelor’s in 1968 and master’s in 1969.

“Developing machines, developing processes and designing new products are typical of what most companies do,” McKinney said.

He has worked for AT&T for the past 30 years, and after training small groups, found he enjoyed teaching others, McKinney said.

“I like helping people and trying to make them successful,” McKinney said. “I like to see people succeed.”

O’Neal, a professor of biomedical engineering, said being familiar with the university’s faculty prepared him for the job.

 O’Neal received his bachelor’s from Tech in 1994. He got his master’s from Texas A&M-College Station in 2001. Since then, he has worked in Houston doing “nanotechnology before it was called nanotechnology.”

“Tech is nationally competitive in nanotechnology,” and that was impressive, O’Neal said.

He also said the programs have changed since he was here, but it is where he wants to be.

“I was anxious to make things work here at Tech,” O’Neal said. “There is something about the Tech environment that I find very comfortable.”

Ronny Aranaga, a sophomore chemical engineering major, said he enjoys the professors in his field.

“Most of [the engineering] faculty are really good,” Aranaga said. “I have always had good professors in my major.”