Dr. Eric L. Maase

Adjunct Lecturer
2005-Present College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology Stillwater, OK
Lead instructor for a compulsory undergraduate course in computer programming for engineers, co-instructor in Introduction to Chemical Processing for Chemical Engineers the introductory course for Chemical Engineering majors entering professional school, and guest lecture in both junior-level Chemical Kinetics for Chemical Engineering and a graduate level course in Modeling and Numerical Methods.

Research Associate
2004-Present Laboratory of Molecular Bioengineering Stillwater, OK
The focus of the laboratory is to engineer and evaluate molecular mechanisms in cells, tissues, and organs. The applications of these processes impact a wide array of disciplines such as biotechnology, chemical engineering, immunology, molecular biology, pathology, polymer science and surgical services.

VBA / Microsoft Excel Software Developer
2003-Present American Automatic Controls Council Stillwater, OK
Design and implementation of financial spreadsheets for Society Treasurer and Independent Spreadsheets for Annual Meeting Treasurers, Integration of Spreadsheets with On-line Registration System / Data.

Guest Lecturer in Computer Applications in Engineering
2000-2004 Oklahoma State University Stillwater, OK
Introductory Chemical Engineering, Chemical Engineering design with CAD, and Computer Applications for Engineering Research (Freshman Research Scholars).

Teaching Assistant
1995-2000 Oklahoma State University Stillwater, OK
Fluid Mechanics, Introductory Chemistry, Graduate Engineering Thermodynamics.

VBA / Visual Basic Programmer
2000 Fall Contract - Conoco, Inc. - Lubricants R&D Ponca City, OK
Enhancement and extension of viscosity prediction program developed in MS-Excel.

Associate Faculty, Mathematics
1999 Summer Chesapeake College Wye Mills, MD
Faculty lecturer for undergraduate course in college algebra. Designed a flexible college algebra course for a diverse group of students with varying backgrounds, ages, and common knowledge.

Engineering Consultant
1994-1999 Kawecki & Associates, Inc. Clinical & Environmental Toxicology Chester, MD
Air/Water/Soil modeling and remediation project assistance for assessment and improvement in occupational and environmental exposure issues.

Research Assistant
1995-1999 Oklahoma State University Stillwater, OK
Development of Thermodynamic Database.

Research Assistant/Teaching Assistant
1993-1995 Colorado School Of Mines Golden, CO
Computer Program for Natural Gas Hydrate Prediction Development.

Computer Consultant / Database Developer
1994-1995 Coors Brewing Co. Golden, CO
Developed Computer Database for Insurance/Risk Management Department.

Senior Project
1991-1992 Capstone Design Course Innovation Golden, CO
As a senior with the permission of the faculty member instructing the sophomore class (Introduction to Energy and Material Balances) and the instructor of the junior class (Chemical Kinetics) presented and built design teams consisting of sophomores and juniors with a senior student as a team leader. The goal was the vertical integration of chemical engineering courses, improving communication skills, and incorporation of management theory into the chemical engineering curriculum.

Teaching Fellow
1992 University of Maryland-College Park College Park, MD
Taught undergraduate students in Introductory Engineering class involving the use of computers, creativity, and communication skills in actual design. Taught undergraduate students in a freshmen design class. Instruction on computers and effective communication as aids in the design process were enhanced by the development of various creativity exercises.

Polymer Research Chemist
1992 Nippon Paint, Inc. Kyoto, Japan
Experimental research on water-based paints and associated chemistry.

ADDITIONAL PARTICIPATION, DEVELOPMENT, INNOVATION AND EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

Web Master for Oklahoma State University School of Chemical Engineering. Provide maintenance for the Chemical Engineering Web site including updates, changes, technical support and staff training.

OSU Course Management and Software Task Force. The Oklahoma State University course management system (CMS) task force, comprised of representatives appointed by the dean of each college, has been charged with selecting a single course management system that meets or exceeds the needs currently being served by Blackboard and WebCT. The motivations for the move are 1) to respond to student calls for a single system, 2) to provide a tool for faculty wanting a system that will satisfy their instructional needs, and 3) to help the support staff who currently have to "know" two systems very well. http://fp.okstate.edu/fsc/cms/OSU Course

Management and Software Committee
Engineering Research Course (ENGR) Committee. This committee is charged with the task of continually reviewing the structure and content of all ENGR courses. Meeting semi-annually, the committee provides stewardship and oversight of core curriculum course development and evaluation.

My future interests fall within a broad range of novel concepts, including tissue regeneration using three-dimensional biodegradable scaffolds, computational modeling / simulation in biochemical, bioengineering and general engineering, bioinformatics, teaching methods for biochemical engineering and educational pedagogy in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM education).


Tissue Engineering
Tissue engineering has given promise for generating functionally replaceable tissue parts. The technology is based on using biodegradable porous scaffolds to guide and support the in-growth of cells during tissue regeneration either at the site of grafting or in vitro. However, a plethora of fundamental including overall scaffold design, developmental criterion for bioreactor and biomaterial selection, optimization of macro and micro-architecture of scaffolds and a theoretical model for quantitative understanding remain to be addressed. The challenge lies in integrating ideas from a wide array of disciplines as diverse as pathology, immunology, molecular biology, polymer science, and chemical engineering. The main objective of my future research is to work with researchers from multiple disciplines to develop and establish technology having a direct impact on transforming both approaches into clinical realities. Specifically, my future research will be focused on the following aspects: i) immuno-pathology of tissue scaffolds ii) stem cell bioreactors and iii) combinatorial models for regeneration of organs/tissues.

Scaffolds are used with and without prior cell-seeded configurations based on the tissue to be replaced. Recent advances have shown that cells respond differently in their attachment, morphology, migration and proliferation on three-dimensional scaffolds (3D) than to the traditional two-dimensional (2D) tissue culture. Numerous cells including fibroblasts, mesenchymal, epithelial and neural crest cells attached to 3D matrices show distinct adhesions differing from 2D counterparts (2, 3). In 2D substrata, cultured cells are restricted to spread and attach to a flat rigid glass or tissue culture plastic surface on to which different substrates are coated. The influence of biophysical properties of the matrix may not appear important. However, biophysical properties significantly influence cell adhesion, signaling and functions in 3D environment. Further, the 3D architecture could distribute binding sites differently than 2D architecture (2, 4). 3D focal adhesions appear distinct from 2D focal adhesions on a rigid 2D matrix and were termed as "3D matrix adhesions" to separate them from 2D counterparts. In addition to proteins present in focal adhesions on 2D matrices, cells may have cytoskeletal adaptor proteins on 3D matrix (2, 5). Such discrepancy in cell adhesion between 2D vs. 3D causes different signal transduction, subsequently altering cell morphology and rearrangement. In response to different physical and chemical signals from the surrounding 3D matrix, cells can synthesize ECM components, and degradation of the matrix can create spatial advantages for cell expansion and forward migration unlike 2D architecture.

Pore size and void fraction (6-10), stiffness, pore interconnectivity, and topography (11) all can affect cell colonization in synthetic scaffolds. Pore size affects cell binding, migration, depth of cellular in growth, cell morphology, and phenotypic expression (12). Many cell types including ECs and fibroblasts are unable to completely colonize scaffolds with the pore sizes >300 m (9, 13) due to the difficulty in crossing large bridging distances. There is an "optimum pore size range" for supporting cell in growth. In this study, we will use scaffolds with a pore size distribution from 100 to 200 µm, close to the optimum range (50 -150 µm) (6) for SMCs (7). High porosity (>90%) provides a high surface area for cell-matrix interactions, sufficient space for ECM regeneration, uniform and efficient cell seeding (14-16). Increased pore interconnectivity and porosity also affect the deposition of ECM elements (17). Topography of scaffold surface significantly influences spreading characteristics and activity of cells. The existence of grooves may inhibit a cell's ability to bend its cytoskeleton (18) or reshape its actin filaments to adjust to the new topography (19). Roughness can significantly increase cell migration area (20). Cellular function of various cell types are influenced by the scaffold stiffness of the substrate (21-23). In weak gels, cells show reduced spreading and disassembly of actin even when soluble adhesive ligands are present (24, 25). This could be the response of tractional forces between cells and materials; scaffold should be able to withstand cell contractile forces (23). Maximum tractional force generated by a cell could be as much as 10-15% of substrate modulus (24). Further, the rigidity of the scaffolds may affect the formation of ECM which can affect cellular activity (3). The stiffness of the matrix for optimum cell spreading may be tissue specific with different cell types requiring different stiffness.

My focus is to evaluate and engineer molecular mechanisms in cells, and tissues while colonizing the three dimensional structures. The applications of these processes affect a wide array of disciplines such as biotechnology, chemical engineering, immunology, molecular biology, pathology, polymer science, and surgical services. My research work is intended to increase my understanding of the aspects of biochemical and biomedical aspects of chemical engineering. The objective is to identify and apply my current skills (while continually developing new skills) and bring improvements to tissue engineering aspects of chemical engineering.


Modeling and Simulation of Biological, Biochemical, and Physical Systems
Mathematical and computational modeling, among the fundamental tools of the engineer for the quantitative treatment of both natural and industrial processes, have to date played at best only a minor role in chemical engineering contributions to advancements in biotechnology and bioengineering (1, 2). Although this may be expected as such systems involve fundamental behaviors. While not well understood it is nevertheless opportune to more fully investigate both first principle models and statistically driven models as applied to biological and biochemical systems. The application of mathematical modeling to biological systems should both strengthen and enhance the quantitative use of chemical engineering principles and provide new avenues for exploring biological and biochemical systems.

In the field of bioinformatics, there have been significant improvements in computational tools and information technologies (3-5). To understand the output results, one has to develop sophisticated statistical tools that can help establish the network of information involved in the regulatory pathways controlling the activity of living organisms. Many of these tools themselves open new possibilities in modeling and simulation approaches to biological systems that have yet to be fully explored.

My previous work in thermodynamics, kinetics, and computational modeling naturally arise from my previous research work in these topics. Both my doctoral dissertation and master's thesis include computational modeling in thermodynamics and kinetics with the ultimate goal the creation of a new or improved engineering models or simulation methods for system predictions. A fundamental aspect of such work involves the examination of experimental data quality and the associated modeling based on experimental data an aspect of modeling of extreme importance when considering biological experimental data. I intend to continue my research focusing on understanding and incorporating experimental data consistency, constraints, reproducibility, and validity into modeling and while extending my knowledge of the capabilities and possibilities provided by first-principle, statistical, and neural network based models into new approaches in investigations of biochemical and biological systems.


Education in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)
The recent boom in biomedical and biotechnology industry needs engineers, and educational programs to train new personnel. According to the US Department of Labor, the job market for biomedical engineers is projected to increase by 31.4% through 2012 (1). double the overall job growth rate of 15.2%, and more than three times the overall engineering job growth rate of 9.4%. In particular, people with the expertise in biomaterials and biomechanics will be the most sought after. In 1990, less than 4,000 students were enrolled in undergraduate biomedical/ biotechnology programs; in 2002 there were over 10,000 students enrolled (2). In the next five years, it is estimated that two to three times more students per year will take biomedical/ biotechnology courses. The growth extends beyond the traditional chemical and biological disciplines (4). For, example, imaging techniques will not only enhance the ability to accurately diagnose and recognize diseases but also allow our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of diseases (4).

Despite these booming predictions, a major problem facing the United States is the declining number of students expressing an interest, or majoring, in engineering (5). Between 1992 and 2002, the percentage of high school students expressing an interest in majoring in engineering has significantly dropped (6). There is also the recurring problem of the lack of preparedness among US students in math and science (7). To address these issues, a number of programs have been initiated throughout the country where either high school teachers are retrained or students are exposed to science and engineering through summer outreach programs (7-10).

The College of Engineering, Architecture, and Technology (CEAT) at Oklahoma State University (OSU) has also developed a multi-disciplinary weeklong resident summer academy for high school students called REACH (Reaching Engineering and Architectural Career Heights). The primary goals of REACH are providing factual, experiential information to all participants to increase the level of knowledge of the various fields of engineering, architecture and technology, and increasing the number of students from underrepresented groups studying those disciplines. The experience is designed to help the students make sound individual career decisions with the intention of attracting them to engineering careers. Participants are primarily junior or senior high school students. The thirty (18 female and 12 male) participants of the 2005 program consisted of nearly 70% of one or more underrepresented groups in engineering, architecture and technology such as females, Hispanics and Native Americans.

As part of the instructional team for REACH, I have gained significant experience in putting together experimental modules. Given an opportunity, I would be happy to develop a similar program in the department. High school teachers, particularly from underrepresented communities, trained through extension courses with the intention of attracting students from underrepresented communities in biomedical engineering.

Further, I would like to contribute to research targeted toward improvements in educational aspects of engineering. The general education and engineering core courses make up the strong knowledge base upon which a student's engineering education is built and represent both an opportunity and seminal moment in the recruitment of future engineers. Engineers require knowledge and skill in mathematical sciences, an understanding of probability and statistics, better awareness and abilities in computer application and programming, awareness and understanding of the societal (human) factors within engineering operates, and practice and skill in interpersonal communication and teamwork (11-15). To engineer is to be an applied problem solver (16-17), and from inception to implementation, numerous skills developed both as instructional methods and incorporated as instructed topics at all levels of educational preparation. The nature of engineering, education, and students as the world continues into the new millennium require changes and improvements in engineering instruction, research and industrial collaborations.

TEACHING AND COURSE DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES

Introduction to Computer Programming for Engineers. Currently in the fifth semester of newly redesigned freshman computer programming course. Oversaw the transformation from Fortran to Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) programming language. First two semesters served as lead teaching assistant, subsequently became Instructor. Developed all the teaching materials and textbook for the course.

Chemical Engineering for Freshmen Research Scholars. Developed a fast-paced introduction to spreadsheet use and VBA programming in engineering analysis and design. Acted as the lead instructor in the class for half (often more) of the lectures during the following four semesters of the class. The success of the methods developed in this class encouraged and influenced changes in other courses in Chemical engineering and the chemical engineering curriculum of Oklahoma State University.

Engineering Design with CAD for Chemical Engineers. Responsible for the conversion of a CAD drawing course to a CAD-based process design course. Due partly to the success of the methods and materials developed in the Freshmen Research Scholars Course, this CAD course evolved into a general introduction to basic computer tools: spreadsheets (Microsoft Excel) and numerical methods (PolyMATH). ChemCAD, the chemical process simulation software originally taught, was moved into the Introduction to Chemical Process Engineering course, commonly called the Material and Energy Balance course.

Introduction to Chemical Process Engineering. The primary computer lab instructor as the course was increased by one credit hour to incorporating a lab. New teaching tools were developed to encourage practical and applied solutions to course problems with short lectures and well-developed problems applicable to single lab session solution, which would lead into homework problems.

Chemical Kinetics and Reactor Design. Lecturer on chemical process simulation software and numerical methods for the optimization of chemical processes. Have helped introduced statistical based problem-solving methods into the course. Work to be published.

Reaching Engineering and Architecture Career Heights (REACH Academy). A summer academy for high school students who will be entering their junior or senior years in high school who are interested in engineering, architecture, or technology. Co-taught the chemical engineering, industrial engineering and biochemical engineering sessions.
Fluid Mechanics. The study of fluid properties, statics, conservation equations, dimensional analysis and similitude, viscous flow in ducts, inviscid flow, boundary layer theory, open channel flow, turbomachinary, and fluid measurement techniques.

Introduction to Chemistry. Teaching Assistant for four semesters for general introduction to fundamental principles of chemistry including atomic structure, chemical formulas, molecules, reactions, and elementary thermodynamics. This course is intended to be preparatory for science majors who have no prior knowledge of chemistry.

Introduction to Chemistry for Engineers. One semester lab instructor and teaching assistant for hypothesis based learning chemistry course for engineering-track students. In this course emphasis is placed on the use of the scientific method to entice students to link head knowledge to hands knowledge as they seek to test a stated hypothesis.