Just Plane Fun: Society of Women Engineers Visits Bellefonte Middle School Students for Engineers Week

by Katie Ciccaglione

On Thursday, February 27, four Society of Women Engineers (SWE) members traveled to Bellefonte Middle School to give an outreach presentation to half of the 6th grade class. Although the presentation was given to both male and female students, the event was scheduled to occur on National Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day, which is part of the week-long Engineers Week celebration. On Monday, March 2, three more SWE members returned to the school to give the same presentation to the other half of the class.

The presentation began with an overview of what engineering is and the impact it has on the world. We also discussed the different disciplines of engineering, and shared our own personal engineering experiences. Finally, we talked about how they, as middle school students, can “test drive” engineering by going to STEM camps or job shadowing an engineer that they know. The presentation was very interactive, as the students already had a decent grasp on engineering, so they were very eager to answer our questions and even ask their own!

The second part of the presentation included an interactive design activity. The purpose of the activity was to teach the students about aviation science and the engineering that goes into making a plane fly. The students were then given a chance to work in groups to create their own airplanes using different types of paper, paperclips, binder clips, and tape to see which group could design the plane that traveled the farthest. Before diving into the design activity, we gave a brief overview of the four main forces affecting the flight of an aircraft: thrust, lift, drag, and gravity.

Nicki Gallegor, outreach director of SWE, says she was excited when the students understood these different properties and how to apply them to simple paper airplanes to make them fly. For example, they knew that for the case of their paper airplanes, thrust would be generated by the forward throwing motion of their hand, as opposed to a jet engine.

When the groups of students were given their materials, there was slight chaos as they began the design process. However, when the time came to test the planes, the students were very cooperative and had a great time cheering on their classmates!

The top two teams whose plane traveled the farthest, and the team with the most creative design, were given prizes. Nicki says her favorite part was when the students came together to take an epic selfie while holding up their creations.

Outreach events like these are very important to SWE because we recognize that the only way to supply the world with future engineers is by getting students interested in engineering at an early age. Interactive presentations are a great way to do that, because students are able to see first-hand how cool engineering can be!

Katie Ciccaglione is vice president of student relations for SWE. A native of Pittsburgh, PA, she will graduate this May with her bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. Katie plans to move to New Orleans to work as a well interventions engineer at Shell Oil Company.

Nicki Gallegor is a mechanical engineering sophomore from Pittsburgh, PA. She will complete an internship at Rockwell Automation this summer. 

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Precision Medical Instrument Design Lab: Exploring Methods of Improving Existing Medical Procedures

A video produced by mechanical engineering graduate student Andrew Barnett highlights the Precision Medical Instrument Design Lab, where faculty and students work on projects involving: robotic needle steering, tissue cutting mechanics, tribological effect between tissue and medical instruments, diagnostic needle biopsy, brachytherapy radiation cancer treatment, and laparoscopic and endoscopic instruments.

 

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Beating the Odds: First-Year Students Can Secure Co-ops and Internships at the Engineering Career Fair

by Betsy Miller

“No company is ever going to give me an internship; I’m just a freshman.” Such a common misconception. I found that it is absolutely possible, if that freshman is determined, especially with the incredible resources and opportunities to network at Penn State.

I decided about a month in advance that I was going to attend the Engineering Career Fair in pursuit of an internship for the summer of 2015, despite the “odds” being against me. I spent weeks doing research about the employers who would be in attendance, attempting to narrow down the long list to a few who truly captured my interest. Factors such as company type, reputation of internship program, and location played significant roles in my choices, leading to the final eight with whom I spoke when the day arrived.

As a member of the Society of Women Engineers and the Women in Engineering Program, I received excellent advice for preparing myself prior to the Engineering Career Fair. I was given suggestions from upper-class students about the format and content of my resume, as well as useful advice about dressing in formal business attire, giving a 30-second introduction, and carrying out a successful conversation with a company recruiter. My dad also prepared me years in advance by teaching me how to shake a person’s hand. If I could give anyone a piece of advice, it would be to never underestimate the power of a strong handshake.

With all of that knowledge brimming in my head, I made my rounds to my selected employers, trying to be confident and enthusiastic during each interaction. I ended up scoring an interview with GE, one of my top companies, and they have offered me a co-op position with them for this coming fall. I am ecstatic about the opportunity, and I am eager to see what else comes to fruition as I follow up with the other companies through emails and online applications.

For me, the Engineering Career Fair was a success, but even if I did not receive offers, I would have been thankful for the learning experience and chance to network for the first time. The career fairs at Penn State are such unique opportunities that many other colleges do not offer to nearly the same extent, which is why I think it is important for students and employers alike to attend. Penn State’s students, after all, are a great pool of young adults to invest in and hire, and companies should continue to support and recruit them at career fairs because our generation is the future.

Betsy Miller is a first-year aspiring mechanical engineer from Pottstown, PA. She serves as the corporate chair for professional development events in the Society of Women Engineers, as well as a member of Springfield (a THON organization) and Changing Health, Attitudes, and Actions To Recreate Girls, a women’s health and fitness club. Following graduation, Betsy would like to secure a career related to sustainability and design, and she hopes to climb the leadership ladder to become an engineering manager someday. 

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“Competitive” Doesn’t Mean Don’t Try: The career fair for first-year students

by Cayla Castells

From the moment you enter college, rather from the moment you enter “adulthood,” everyone is asking what you want to do with your life. While many students in their late teens struggle with the thought of planning their futures, I was fortunate enough to have a plan. From previous experiences, I knew that I wanted to work for General Electric. I had a plan, but then I was faced with the means of carrying out that plan. I talked about working for GE to several of my friends, all of which had the same answer: “Go out there and do your best but try not to get your hopes up.” Every person hinted at the idea of competition and how in the real world, there was not a spot for everyone. I took this as a challenge and despite the negative response I received from my peers, I decided to try anyway. For all those experienced with job hunting in college, the obvious next step was the career fair.

Before heading to the Engineering Career Fair, I did a lot of homework. I looked on the website to see which companies would be attending. I asked Cheryl Knobloch, Women in Engineering Program (WEP) director, numerous questions and even reached out to some alumni about their experiences. My Women in Engineering Program Orientation mentors were able to give me helpful advice regarding everything from handshakes and appropriate attire to questions to ask the recruiters. Each piece of advice was vital in the success of my trip to the career fair.

Following my plan, I only approached the GE Transportation booth and spoke with the recruiter for several minutes. I highlighted aspects of my resume I wanted her to notice and asked her questions about the positions GE offered for freshman candidates. The conversation went smoothly and quickly led into a discussion about interviews the following day. I left the career fair knowing that I had used all the advice given to me and succeeded.

My trip resulted in an interview and an offer for a position, but not everyone can have the same experience. The important thing to note is that the experience at the career fair itself is more than enough. Starting to network as soon as possible is the key to becoming an expert at career fairs and ultimately getting a job. The more times someone attends, the more successful they will be. Most companies do not accept freshman applicants but that did not stop me from attending and it should not stop anyone else. Even if the odds are stacked against you, doing your homework and showing a genuine interest and knowledge about a company shows a lot. This extra piece of effort ultimately stood out to my recruiter, rewarding me with an interview and a position.

Cayla Castells is a first-year engineering student majoring in mechanical engineering. A native of Downingtown, PA, she is a member of the engineering sorority Phi Sigma Rho, the secretary of the acapella group Sorenity Row, and is active within WEP. Cayla hopes to take her technical skills to sales and work as either a sales engineer or in management.

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Minding Their Manners: Students Learn Etiquette Skills at Annual Dinner

by Shreya Trivedi

BMW. The immediate image these letters invoke in one’s mind is of a sleek and luxurious automobile. But for members of Society of Women Engineers (SWE) and Society of Hispanic Professionals (SHPE) at Penn State who attended the etiquette dinner on Thursday, January 22, it means something entirely different.

Ms. Diana Zeisky, the etiquette coach at the event, etched a new meaning for BMW in our minds – Bread, Meal and Water.

The Etiquette Dinner is organized by SWE every year at The Nittany Lion Inn. The attendees have a great opportunity to network with students from different majors.

Increasing number of employers are conducting interviews or corporate dinners or networking events which includes food. Learning about etiquette is a very important skill for students as it helps establish the self-confidence needed for job interviews conducted over a lunch. Interviews are stressful enough without having to wonder what fork should be used during which course or what to do with your napkin if it falls on the floor. Also it is important to learn the soft skills to differentiate yourself from all the other candidates.

The etiquette dinner gave the students an opportunity to avoid any embarrassing table stories.
The dinner began with introductions and small talk, before the students began the delicious four-course meal. Ms. Zeisky started with the importance of a firm handshake and demonstrated the same with volunteers from the audience.

For every course, she told us to go ahead in the way we thought was right and then demonstrated the correct way to go about eating that course of the meal. She also discussed the different resting position and position indicating that you are done with the meal. These little things are of importance as you are at the event to network or concentrate on the interview and hence you don’t want to be bothered by the waiter asking to clear your plate.

And the most important message that she gave was etiquette is not just about eating, it is rather about the conversation.

The dinner event would not have been possible without the generosity of SWE’s corporate sponsor – Noble Energy, and of course the very talented and inspiring coach Ms. Diana Zeisky.

Whilst this annual event gives much needed confidence boost to our members, our sponsors also get an opportunity to showcase and position their organizations, and let prospective applicants know about various employment opportunities and what skills are they are seeking.

Shreya Trivedi is a junior majoring in aerospace engineering with minors in Engineering Leadership  Development and Engineering Entrepreneurship. A native of Ahmedabad, Gujarat (India), she serves as professional development director for the Society of Women Engineers and the Engineering Orientation Network, and a Resident Assistant for Penn State’s Residence Life. Shreya hopes to someday pursue a career in the aerospace field.

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All in a Day’s Work: Lab Focuses on Human Factors of Today’s Work Environment

by Andris Freivalds

Benjamin Niebel was a professor and long-time department head.

Benjamin Niebel was a professor and long-time department head.

Ben Niebel was the long-time head of the Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering (1955-1978) and the original author of a very popular industrial engineering textbook (Methods, Standards, and Work Design), now in its thirteenth edition. Due to his generosity and an endowment established in 1997, the Ben Niebel Work Design Lab was developed in the then newly constructed Leonhard Building.

This laboratory serves two purposes. It is the main teaching laboratory for the various work design courses: IE 327, Introduction to Work Design; IE 408, Cognitive Work Design; IE 419, Work Design-Productivity and Safety; and IE 553, Engineering of Human Work.

Simultaneously, it serves as the research laboratory for physical ergonomics and work design. Consequently, well over a hundred students use it per semester, including not only undergraduate and graduate students of the department for their required courses but also WISER (Women in Science and Engineering Research) students and other potential students who might be interested in majoring in industrial engineering after being exposed to the types of research being performed here.

The lab provides close to 1,000 square feet of space dedicated to human factors research and education.

The lab provides close to 1,000 square feet of space dedicated to human factors research and education.

Among the major pieces of equipment housed in this lab are: eight workstations with a PC, each accommodating three students; a treadmill and an exercise bicycle ergometer; metabolic and strength measuring equipment; two industrial workstations; and a variety of smaller instruments to measure noise, light, heat stress, hearing, vision, anthropometry, etc.

The PC workstations are used regularly for students to watch videos of real-life jobs on which they perform time or work sampling studies to determine a standard time for those jobs and/or also redesign those jobs to more ergonomically acceptable standards.

The smaller instruments measure human capabilities and limitations, as well as environmental conditions that need to be optimized for jobs.

The exercise and metabolic equipment help graduate students understand work physiology and human limitations on 8-hour a day jobs.

Andris Freivalds is a professor of industrial engineering. He joined Penn State in 1980. Freivalds is a fellow of the Institute of Industrial Engineers and the Ergonomics Society. His awards and honors include the Penn State Engineering Alumni Society’s Outstanding Research, Outstanding Teaching, and Premier Teaching Awards.

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The Turner Prize: What Does Academic Collaboration Mean?

“Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.” – Henry Ford

That powerful quote was used by Karen Sweeney (’80 AE) to close out the 2014 Henry C. Turner Prize for Innovation in Construction event on Wednesday, December 3, 2014 at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C.

Sweeney, Senior Vice President: Diversity, Inclusion and Community at Turner Construction, served as moderator of the panel discussion after the Penn State Department of Architectural Engineering was recognized for bringing together students, educators, researchers, government entities, and industry to build efficiencies in the building industry and encourage energy-efficient building solutions.

The award committee specifically cited architectural engineering’s GridSTAR Center efforts at the Navy Yard in Philadelphia as one of the reasons for honoring Penn State with this year’s prize.

“We were missing a real practical practice in engineering so the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation went to Penn State to collaborate on the Navy Yard development,” explained John Grady, Turner Prize panelist and president, Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation. “Penn State warmed to the challenge quickly, especially the College of Engineering and especially the Department of Architectural Engineering. They knew how to be a difference maker. They were entrepreneurial and recognized that coming into Philadelphia meant bringing something new to the relationship.”

Panelist Ted Lynch (’92 AE, ’96 PhD), president, Southland Industries, agreed that Penn State is willing to adapt to the needs of its partners. “Penn State architectural engineering is responsive to the needs of the design/build industry,” he said.

One area of opportunity, Lynch said, is for industry and higher education to collaborate in the research areas that would help address the many issues and challenges facing the industry.

“The traditional university system isn’t set up to encourage collaboration, or at least not without too much bureaucracy,” Grady said.

“We have the freedom to establish programs like GridSTAR and engage students who are interested in these programs,” said Chimay Anumba, department head, Penn State Department of Architectural Engineering.

Another panelist and former under-secretary at the United States Department of Education, Martha Kanter, said that other universities should look at Penn State architectural engineering’s track record of preparing students for success and scale it to help solve the nationwide issue of students being underprepared for the work force.

“The nation needs graduates with imagination; students with cross- and multi-disciplinary approaches to problem solving,” Grady said. “Universities have the opportunity to bring all this together in order to train future leaders.”

 

Turner 1

The presentation of the Turner Prize (l. to r.): Chase Rynd, executive director, National Building Museum; Chimay Anumba, department head, Penn State Department of Architectural Engineering; David Riley, professor of architectural engineering and director of the GridSTAR Center; Anthony Atchley, senior associate dean, Penn State College of Engineering; Peter J. Davoren, president and chief executive officer, Turner Construction.

Turner 2

Karen Sweeney, left, moderates a conversation on innovation, education, and collaboration as driving forces in economic development and a 21st-century workforce. Panelists (L-R): Chimay Anumba, John Grady, Martha Kanter, and Ted Lynch.

 

 

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