Retention and recruitment grants awarded
The Professional and Scientific Council’s Retention and Recruitment Committee has awarded 12 grants totaling $41,994 for the 2008–09 academic year. Grant funds are to be used for innovative purposes within the context of the university’s commitment to retention and recruitment. The engineering recipients and their projects are: Lora Leigh Chrystal, on-campus coordinator, Program for Women in Science and Engineering, APP Women in STEM—Community College Connections Program; Nancy Knight, director, Graduate Enrollment Management, Engineering GRADS (Engineering Graduate Retention through Academic Development Seminars); and Janelle Miranda, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Seminar Outreach. (P&S Retention and Recruitment Grants)
Engineering professors awarded third place in Pappajohn contest
Atul Kelkar, ME, and Jerald Vogel, AerE, who are co-founders of Innovation Vibration Solutions (IVS), received the third-place prize of $10,000 in the third annual statewide John Pappajohn Business Plan Competition. IVS has developed an innovative vibration isolation technology that provides for superior suspension solutions for various applications, such as reducing the road impact felt by truck drivers. The award recipients were honored at the Iowa Venture Capital and Entrepreneurship Conference held in Des Moines. (News release)
College is well represented at the national SWE meeting
Some of the Iowa State attendees help at the graduate booth at the SWE conference. Front row, from left: Katie Schlichting, Nancy Knight, and Lisa Nielsen. Back row: Katie Henning, Cassiana Cope, Karen Littlejohn, Allison Machtemes, and Daniela Faas.
Seventeen Iowa State engineering undergraduate and graduate students joined 5,800 students and professionals from across the country at the National Society of Women Engineers (SWE) meeting November 6–8 in Baltimore. Nancy Knight, director of Graduate Enrollment Management, serves as a SWE co-adviser with Johna Wolfe, academic adviser in mechanical engineering. Knight reports that the National SWE meeting is the favorite graduate recruiting event that she attends each year. “It’s an affirming meeting for women engineers with great attendance by corporate partners, students, and professionals,” she says.
In addition to attending professional development seminars, interviewing for internships and research opportunities at the career fair, and participating in various competitions, the students took turns helping Knight talk with prospective students in the graduate recruiting booth. The booth was also visited by dozens of alumni, who were attending the conference as professionals or corporate recruiters. Additionally, Knight was able to provide information to recruiters about the college’s Career Management Service.
The Iowa State SWE Chapter received the Outstanding Collegiate Section Award, Silver Level, at the conference. “Winning awards such as this is a great honor and also provides a great incentive for the ISU SWE members to keep developing the awesome ISU section,” says Allison Machtemes, SWE president. “It really shows them that all the hard work with their events and position duties pays off to make a great section.”
Mark your calendars!
December 2—ADVANCE Networking Lunch, 114 Marston, Noon–1 p.m.
December 3—ADVANCE Workshop, Faculty Search Resources, 3512 Memorial Union, Noon–1 p.m.
December 4—“The Future of Oil and Gas” by Sigmund (Sig) Cornelius, senior vice president, Planning, Strategy and Corporate Affairs, ConocoPhillips, as part of the Engineering Policy and Leadership Institute thematic year, Energy Security and Sustainability, 7–9 p.m., Howe Hall Alliant Energy-Lee Liu Auditorium
December 9—Iowa State Wind Energy Symposium, 8 a.m.–4 p.m., Howe Hall, Alliant Energy-Lee Liu Auditorium
