Mechanical Engineering

Education:

Industrial and Research Laboratory Experience:

• University of Virginia-Rehabilitation Engineering Center, Charlottesville, VA, Graduate Research Assistant in NIDRR funded Center for Wheeled Mobility and Seating, 1983-1990
• Bettis Atomic Power Lab, Div. of Westinghouse Electric Corp., West Mifflin, PA, Associate Engineer in Light Water Breeder Reactor Project, 1981-1983
• Elliott Company, Div. of Carrier Corp., Summer Engineering Student in Product Development, 1979
  -Experimental and finite element analysis of wheelchair components
  -Finite element analysis of hard and soft tissue of the human body

Instructional Activities:

• Undergraduate Courses- Engineering Analysis, Statics, Mechanics of Materials
• Graduate Courses- Intermediate Solid Mechanics, Applied Numerical Methods, Finite Element Method, Introduction to Biomedical Engineering and Advanced Vibrations.

Consulting:

• Consultant for Capstone College of Nursing Project, funded by NIH, "The Effects of Touch on Premature Infants", 1993-present.
• Consultant for Gary, Naegele & Theado, Attorneys At Law, regarding Sacral Decubitus Ulcers, 1994-present.
• Consultant for NSF Young Scholars Early Alert Program: Statistics, Probability, and You through the Mathematics Department, 1995-1996.

Funded Proposals:

• "Finite Element Models Generated from Magnetic Resonance Images," Engineering Foundation, $23,000, 9/1/94-8/31/95, PI: Beth Todd.
• "Computational Analysis of Whole-Body Inertia Properties", Systems Research Laboratories, $28,291, 2/1/996-10/30/996, PI: M. Virginia Marsh, Project Director: Beth Todd.
• "Perceived Gender Inequities in Freshman Engineering Design Projects", NSF through Foundation Coalition, $12,850, Co-PI's: Charles L. Karr and Beth A. Todd.

Principal Publications for Last Five Years:

• Todd, B. A. and H. Wang., "A Visual Basic Program to Pre-Process MRI Data for Finite Element Modeling", Computers in Biology and Medicine, in press.
• Marsh, M.V., B. A. Todd, R. R. Rasmussen, D. J. Baughn, and C. Albery, "Validation of Experimental Methods for Determining Inertial Properties of Human Subjects", 1996 ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, in press.
• Vongpasseuth, T., M. V. Marsh, and B. A. Todd, "Computational Analysis of Fracture for the Human Femur", 1996 ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, in press.
• Todd, B. A., S.L. Smith, and T.S. Bunn, "Mechanical Properties of Open-Cell Foams", 1996 ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, in press.
• Todd, B. A., and M. V. Marsh, "Effects of Pilot Size on Ejection Dynamics", Developments in Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, Vol. XVII: 486-490, 1996.
• Marsh, M. V., K. W. Fields, S. D. Glasgow, and B. A. Todd, "Door-Opening Device for Wheelchair Users", Proceeding of RESNA '96 Annual Conference, pp. 256-258, Salt Lake City, Utah, June 1996.
• Todd, B. A. and T. G. Cole, "Impact of Electronics on Engineering Education", Society of Women Engineers Convention, June, 1996, in press.
• Todd, B. A. and H. Wang, "Conversion of Magnetic Resonance Images to Finite Element Models," 1995 Advances in Bioengineering, BED-Vol. 31:343-344, San Francisco, California, November 1995.
• Todd, Beth A. and Thacker, John G., "Three-Dimensional Computer Model of the Human Buttocks, In Vivo", Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development, Vol. 31, No. 2, pp. 111-119, 1994.
• Todd, B. A., Woods, H.C., and Shackelford, L.C., "Mass Centers of Body Segments", Proceedings of the 16th Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society Conference, pp. 335-336, Baltimore, Maryland, November 1994

Honors and Awards:

• Tau Beta Pi (Engineering Honorary) 1981
• Sigma Xi (Scientific Research Honorary) 1989
• Pi Tau Sigma (Mechanical Engineering Honorary) 1989
• Ratcliff Memorial Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching 1993, 1995
• Young Engineer of the Year, ASPE, Tuscaloosa Chapter 1994

Professional Service:

• Society of Women Engineers, member since 1977
  -Moderator of "Education, Recruitment, and Retention" for Industrial
  -Rountable at Regional Conference, Jan. 1993.
• National Society of Professional Engineers, member since 1981
  -EIT in Pennsylvania
• American Society of Mechanical Engineers, member since 1983
  -Board Member, Saginaw Valley (Michigan) Chapter, 1991-1992
• RESNA (Rehabilitation Engineering Society), member since 1984
  -Reviewed papers and short courses on Wheeled Mobility and Seating for 1993 annual conference
• WEPAN (Women in Engineering Programs Advocates Network), member since 1992
• American Society for Engineering Education, member since 1995
  -Southeastern Section, Mechanical Engineering Division, Secretary, 1995-96
• IEEE
  -Chaired session of 25th Southeastern Symposium on System Theory, March 1993
  -Reviewer for Transactions on Rehabilitation Engineering
• SouthEastern Conference on Theoretical and Applied Mechanics
  -Reviewer for SECTAM XVII and XVIII
  -Organized two Biomechanics sessions for SECTAM XVIII
• National Science Foundation
  -Reviewer for Laboratory Improvement proposals, 1994-1996