September 29, 2004 Engineering professor helps students learn as
they build Specialized parts aren’t the only things coming out
of Akihiko Kumagai’s lab. The mechanical engineering professor
is also turning out specialized graduates – engineers able to
marry machines to computers so machines can work smarter. The
students utilize both mechanical and electronic engineering,
areas that are usually taught separately. “There’s a growing
demand for machines that are controlled by electronics and
computers,” Kumagai says. “So teaching students to combine
mechanical and electronic engineering gives them a big advantage
in their careers.” For the most part, the teaching takes place
in a lab Kumagai has equipped over his first four years at
Sacramento State. The most current projects are an automated
liquid handling system and an inexpensive way to manufacture a
water pasteurization indicator. Two graduate students have been
working on the liquid handling system for scientific labs, which
transfers liquid from a reser