Engineers Week to Emphasize Engineering Diversity
The 2008 Engineers Week, co-chaired by IBM Corp. and the Chinese Institute of Engineers-USA (CIE-USA), will take place 17-23 February 2008. Including year-round activities, Engineers Week is expected to reach several million people worldwide, with an emphasis on expanding diversity in the engineering field and in the workplace. As a way to encourage underrepresented groups to consider engineering careers, IBM and CIE-USA have launched the Engineers Week Diversity Council, which seeks to broaden the ranks of women and underrepresented minorities at all levels of engineering. The council will identify methods to enhance diversity programs already under way through EWeek’s various educational and outreach initiatives. Learn more
IEEE Student Branches on YouTube
See what IEEE Student Members are up to by watching their YouTube videos. With topics ranging from the IEEE/SAE Dartmouth Formula Hybrid and IEEE-USA Competitions, to student branch promotions and the evolution of IEEE, these videos highlight what’s been happening around the world with IEEE. See list of videos or search YouTube
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Long-Term Learning Offered Through Short Online Courses
Interested in earning continuing education credits or expanding your engineering education? Then consider Purdue University's online continuing education short courses and masters degree programs. The programs are offered through Purdue’s Division of Engineering Professional Education, known as ProEd, within the College of Engineering. “Students are getting the same course they would get if they were actually in the campus classroom with the instructor,” says Vickie Maris, director of professional development programs at ProEd. Although many students take the courses because their companies require them to earn a specific number of CEUs or a specific licensure, Maris notes “many engineers take our short courses not for the CEUs or certification but for the knowledge they gain and the ability to interact with the instructor on the latest research in a specific area of study.” Discounts for IEEE members are available. Learn more
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Design Squad to be Featured on Jeopardy!
On Monday, 18 February 2008, the U.S. version of the popular television program Jeopardy! will feature a category devoted entirely to Design Squad – the reality television show funded by IEEE and other organizations – as part of its Teen Tournament Week. Footage from Design Squad’s first season will be used to test contestants' knowledge of basic engineering concepts through a series of questions co-developed by Design Squad and Jeopardy! producers. The air date of the category is timed to coincide with National Engineers Week, which takes place 16-23 February. Jeopardy! has an average daily viewership of 12 million and the Teen Tournament series is one of the program's top-rated episodes each year. Design Squad will begin its second season on the U.S. PBS Network in April. View episodes
Casting call: Are you 18 or 19 years old and want to compete for a chance to win a US$10,000 college scholarship? Audition to be a part of Design Squad
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IEEE Lasers & Electro-Optics Society Fellowship and Travel Grants
The IEEE Lasers & Electro-Optics Society (LEOS) is offering a number of graduate fellowships and travel grants to qualified students:
LEOS Graduate Student Fellowship Program
Established to provide graduate fellowships to outstanding LEOS student members pursuing graduate education within the LEOS field of interest (electro-optics, lasers, photonics, optics or closely related fields), the LEOS Graduate Student Fellowship Program sponsors up to 12 fellowships each year. Fellowship applicants must be an IEEE LEOS student member pursuing a graduate education within the LEOS field of interest. Students should normally be in their penultimate year of study at the time of application and be planning to submit their thesis on a timescale of 6-18 months after the application is submitted. Specific application instructions can be found on the LEOS Fellowship web page.
LEOS Student Travel Grants
The LEOS Travel Grants program was established to encourage student participation in LEOS sponsored conferences and activities. The program provides 16 grants annually of up to US$2500 each to enable students who present papers to travel to the LEOS Annual Meeting, OFC (Optical Fiber Communication Conference), CLEO (Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics), CLEO/Pacific Rim, CLEO/Europe, OECC (Optoelectronics and Communications Conference) and ECOC (European Conference on Optical Communication). A recipient should be a full-time degree-seeking student, sponsored by a LEOS member, who is the first author and presenter of the paper. Specific application instructions can be found on the LEOS Travel Grants web page.
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Students Save Businesses Thousands in Energy
Energy audits conducted by University of Windsor engineering students in Ontario, Canada, engineering students for the Union Gas-UWin Energywise Partnership in Research and Education program found $300,000 in energy savings by reducing the use of natural gas, electricity and water for five businesses. The program has been such a success, it will be spread to other universities in the Ontario province. The energy saving co-op program was formed 18 months ago at the request of Union Gas. In addition to making simple suggestions, such as turning off unused lights and putting occasionally used equipment on timers, students also recommended how to save energy in manufacturing processes and the use of machines. Read more
Learn more about energy audits in IEEE Xplore®
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Dream Jobs for 2008
Is a dream job for an engineer an unrealistic goal? Not at all, according to the most recent IEEE Spectrum Dream Jobs report. The 10 technologists featured are enjoying varied careers that redefine the meaning of work. They have traveled to far-flung corners of the earth to build computers that study marine life in Antarctica, and deploy environmental monitoring robots at sea and in the Brazilian rain forest. Some help save the planet by designing ultra high-efficient motors, or by installing solar panels and microhydropower turbines in refugee camps along the Thai-Burma border. Others are changing how people see and hear the world by living out their childhood dreams. One man field tests the high-tech fitness products he designs by entering triathlons. Read their fascinating stories and get inspired to find your dream job.
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Second Microsoft Partner University in Africa
Microsoft has launched what it calls the Microsoft Partner University initiative in West Africa, according to the software giant. The one-week program will field 250 participants from over 50 Microsoft Partners in Nigeria and Ghana for intensive training. Called "Accelerate your Success," the program involves six days of intensive, hands-on training from world-renowned experts experienced in delivering solutions within the market. Microsoft partners play a crucial role in growing the local software economy in Nigeria and Ghana by fostering innovation and building a strong technology base through technology transfer. This is the second Microsoft Partner University in Africa – the first was held in Kenya and attracted participants from all over Eastern and Central Africa. Read more
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Interdisciplinary Robotics Doctorate Launched
The first American interdisciplinary doctoral degree in robotics will be offered by Georgia Tech’s College of Computing. The program begins next fall and will draw from curricula in computer science, electrical and computer engineering, aerospace, biomedical engineering and mechanical engineering. Preparing them to think about robotics from a holistic approach once they enter the global robotics market workforce, the curricula will expose students to coursework from multiple disciplines early in the program. Industry groups in North America and Japan expect the robotics industry to expand significantly over the next five years, with advances in service and personal robotics. The college says it plans to admit approximately 15 candidates annually at first, eventually expanding the program to 60 enrolled students. Read more
Learn more about robotics in IEEE Xplore®
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Schools Challenged to Reinvent Engineering Profession
Engineering schools are struggling to modernize multi-disciplinary curricula and incorporate “soft skills” to meet industry demands for well-rounded graduates who can compete in the global marketplace. The complex problems engineers now face cannot be solved solely through traditional disciplines, says the former chair of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology’s engineering accreditation commission (EAC), which accredits all engineering programs in the United States. The trend toward multidisciplinary programs can result in difficult questions for those involved in the accreditation process and the EAC is concerned about programs that "blur disciplines" because it is not always clear which commission should review them or which criteria should be applied. Read more
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Houston Student Researchers Honored
Three students at the University of Houston, Texas, USA, pursuing research in superconductivity and advanced materials, were recognized for their achievements at the 34th Texas Center for Superconductivity at the University of Houston (TcSUH) Student Symposium. The students who won top honors included two from the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics and one from the Cullen College of Engineering. First prize was awarded to Rajit Chaudhury, a physics doctoral student; second prize went to Carmen Reznik, a doctoral student in chemistry; and third prize went to Christiana Chang, an undergraduate student in mechanical engineering. The projects included work on improving the fabrication of integrated circuitry used in data storage; singular molecule studies on molecular-level processes; and the physics of roller coasters. Read more
Learn more about roller coaster physics in IEEE Xplore®
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DLSU Bacolod Wins Top Prize in SWEEP Contest
A team of engineering students for De La Salle University - Bacolod (DLSU), located in the Philippines, won the top prize in this year's SWEEP contest sponsored by mobile operator Smart Communications. The annual SWEEP (Smart Wireless Engineering Education Program) competition draws participants from college and universities nationwide. This year's theme revolved around creating mobile applications that aid preparation for natural disasters. La Salle's winning project proposes the use of cell broadcasting in transmitting disaster warnings to subscribers in a given area. The second and third prizes, meanwhile, went to teams from Ateneo De Manila University, for their Smart FAST and Smart Guards projects. Read more
Learn more about cell broadcasting in IEEE Xplore®
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