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@COE is published every Friday. Be sure to check out the news for this issue as well as the Career Services dedicated student version
Please send your submissions for @COE to Kim Cowart in the Engineering Communications Office at [log in to unmask].
Please note that @COE will not be published next Friday, April 16.
Faculty Updates
CEE Professor Receives Environmental Leadership Award
Dr. Chris Cherry, an assistant professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, has been selected to receive an Environmental Leadership Award for his outstanding commitment to environmental stewardship at UT Knoxville. Dr. Cherry’s teaching and research interests are centered around sustainable transportation planning, policy and economics. Since his arrival at UT, he has been actively involved in a number of research, education and service activities focused on providing environmental leadership on campus, including serving on UT’s Alternative Transportation Subcommittee where he has worked with colleagues on plans to bring car sharing to UT and the development of a campus commuter survey. He has also worked on planning for a bicycle and electric bike sharing system for the university.
Make Orange Green, the Committee on the Campus Environment, and the Office of the Chancellor will honor Dr. Cherry’s efforts, as well as those of other campus environmentalists, in a 15- to 20-minute ‘green carpet’ ceremony to be held along Humanities Plaza on Earth Day (Thursday, April 22, 2010) at 12:15 pm.
Staff Updates
EDP Director Receives Exceptional Leadership Recognition
James Pippin, director of the College of Engineering Diversity Programs (EDP), was recently recognized at an Alliance meeting by his peers of the Tennessee Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation Program (TLSAMP) for Exceptional Leadership and Outstanding Service from 2002-2010. Pippin is The University of Tennessee, Knoxville campus coordinator for the TLSAMP Program The TLSAMP Alliance consist of six State of Tennessee schools, Tennessee State University, University of Tennessee, Middle Tennessee State University, University of Memphis, Vanderbilt University and Le Moyne Owen College.
Student News
Electrical Engineering Student Publishes in UT Research Journal
Yue Cao, Junior in electrical engineering has published his paper "Multilevel DC-AC Converter Interface with Solar Panels" in the inaugural issue of PURSUIT, The Journal of Undergraduate Research at the University of Tennessee, which was unveiled by Chancellor Jimmy Cheek during the research week. The Journal highlights undergraduate research from all colleges at UT, and Yue's work represents College of Engineering. Yue's advisor is Dr. Leon M. Tolbert, Min H. Kao Professor of EECS. Digital version of PURSUIT can be found at here.
COE Student Receives Honorable Mentions for Goldwater Scholarship
The Barry M. Goldwater Scholarships are awarded yearly to sophomores and juniors who are pursuing careers in research in mathematics, the natural sciences and engineering.
This year, the Goldwater Foundation awarded 278 scholarships from an applicant pool of 1,111 undergraduate students across the U.S. Four-year institutions, like UT, are allowed to nominate four students each year to the competition. This year, eight undergraduates at UT applied for the university’s nomination through the Office of National Scholarships and Fellowships. UT engineering student Lauren Johnson, a junior, was recognized by the Goldwater Foundation and received an honorable mention.
UT’s success this year with the Goldwater competition matches that of both Vanderbilt and Duke, which also received two scholarships and one honorable mention.
EECS Faculty and Staff Members Moderate Math Contest
Markus Iturriaga Woelfel, IT Administrator II, and Michael W. Berry, professor and associate head, from the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at UT Knoxville were the moderators for the eight (two sets of four rounds run in parallel) preliminary rounds held in Moseley Center at Elon University. A record number (31) of schools competed in the 2010 MAA-SE Math Jeopardy Contest This was the largest number of teams competing in Math Jeopardy in the eight-year history of the event.
Details of the contest are available here.
Conference info is available here.
An article from Fort Valley State about the math jeopardy contest is available here.
Special Events
Classical Meets Jazz:
School of Music Event
The UT School of Music’s fundraiser, Classical Meets Jazz, will beheld Saturday, April 10 at 6:00 p.m. at Fox Den Country Club. Enjoy music, find dining, dancing and an auction.
More information can be found at http://www.music.utk.edu/cmj/.
Volunteers Without Borders Concert
UT’s Volunteers without Borders (formerly known as Engineers without Borders), is raising money for a trip this summer to Guatemala. The group is holding a fundraising concert for the trip on Thursday, April 15th at New Amsterdam on Cumberland Avenue that will feature local bands. The event starts at 10 p.m. and the cost will be $5 at the door.
For more information, e-mail
or visit lafortunaproject.org.
Attention COE Seniors: Senior Gift 2010
Visit the Senior Gift 2010 web site in order to make your contribution online to the College Fund for Engineering or to one of the seven department funds.
Gifts of any size are welcome; however, seniors or graduate students who donate at least $50 will receive commemorative honor cords to wear at graduation as well as have a personalized brick placed on the Senior Sidewalk in Circle Park. Call the Tyson Alumni House at 974-3011 for more information.
Your support is important, as it will benefit your fellow engineering students. Recently, the College Fund for Engineering has served as a crucial resource for college-wide programming such as Engage, expanded advising services, and the Pre-Collegiate Scholars Program as well as for purchasing specialized equipment and facility renovations.
Additionally, a Senior Gift will allow the college to seize future opportunities and jump-start future initiatives. Please consider joining your classmates in support of Senior Gift 2010. Your Senior Gift will not only serve the immediate needs of engineering students, but it will set a wonderful example for other seniors, graduate students, underclassmen and future engineering students.
Please visit the Senior Gift web site or the Office of Engineering Development in 120 or 121 Perkins Hall in order to make a Senior Gift via check or credit card or contact them via email at [log in to unmask] for more information.
Student Opportunities
Journal of Undergraduate Research Solicits Submissions
Pursuit: The Journal of Undergraduate Research at the University of Tennessee
Call for Submissions
Fall 2010, Volume 2, Issue 1
Pursuit: The Journal of Undergraduate Research at the University of Tennessee is the first UT publication dedicated to undergraduate research. The inaugural issue was released in March 2010. Please find the online version and more information here.
Submissions for the Fall 2010 Issue will be accepted from April 1, 2010 through May 31, 2010. Pursuit accepts advanced, original, research-based submissions from undergraduate students in all academic colleges at the University of Tennessee. Graduates may submit their work within one year of their graduation date.
More information is found here.
Contact the editors at: [log in to unmask]
Pursuit is also currently accepting applications for the review board. Students in all majors are eligible and should have strong writing and editing skills. Applicants should submit a current resume and writing sample to the Pursuit editors via email [log in to unmask] or hard copy (F101 Melrose Hall, Chancellor's Honors Program Main Office) by May 14, 2010.
An information session will be held on Wednesday, April 14, at 7:00 PM in Melrose Hall Conference Room. Any questions may be directed to [log in to unmask].
Outreach News
Results and pictures of all engineering student participants in the EUReCA
undergraduate research competition are now posted on the outreach page.
Pictures and updates of the 2010 Science Olympiad competition are now posted.
Check out the latest blogs from engineering students abroad.
Engineering Professional Practice Announcements
Announcing a New Name!
Engineering Professional Practice will be the new name of the College of Engineering co-op and internship program. The phrase “Office of” has been replaced with the word “Engineering” in an effort to be more descriptive and align better with other College of Engineering department names. While it will take the office several weeks to get the new name implemented in all printed and electronic media, the engineering community is invited to begin using the new name when speaking with other people about the office. For additional information about the use of the new name in any other printed material, please contact Todd Reeves, director of the Engineering Professional Practice program, at [log in to unmask] or 865-974-5323.
PLEASE NOTE: Students receiving engineering co-op or internship offers must go through the Office of Professional Practice if they want recognition for them on their UT transcript. Students receiving offers directly from employers may forward the information to the office and inquire about how to fulfill program requirements and receive credit for their work.
Engineering Professional Practice Student Feature
Featured student: Michael Hicks
Michael Hicks accepted a fall 2009 work assignment with the city of Maryville, Water Quality Control Department. He is a junior, majoring in civil and environmental engineering and wrote the following while on assignment.
“In my work for the city of Maryville Water Department, I participate in a large range of jobs. Some are engineering related and some are office work.
“I have been working with an underground line locator at the Foothills Mall in Maryville. We connected a device to a water valve that transmits a signal through underground piping. A receiver responds with noise and readings when it is aligned directly on top of the line we connected to. Depending on the type of line, we spray paint a specific color to mark its location. We were marking the mall parking lot because the city is planning to lay a water main in that area.
“Another engineering job I did was at one of the city's wastewater pump stations. I do monthly reports on the volumes of water these stations pump, and we found that one was underperforming. My supervisor and I went to this pump station and performed a drawdown test, the results of which were used to help locate the problem.
“I also do some office work, such as filing water and sewer tap tickets, logging manhole inspections, and updating reports. Much of my day consisted of editing in the city's GIS system and using a CAD drawing of underground lines and roads in the city as my comparison tool for editing.
“I am extremely glad that I took the co-op assignment. I gained a sense of professionalism you can't learn in class. I learned engineering processes in reverse, which will make future classes easier. You gain priceless work experience for a job after graduation, while getting a strong idea for what direction you want to take in your own career – all while still in school.
“The best part is that you probably won't know how to do much of anything when starting work, but your employer knows you are a student and they teach you as if you have no experience. Working in Maryville is a perfect set up for me. You get paid well and have every night/weekend to be with friends in school. They always have homework while you get to have fun!”
For information on engineering co-op and internship assignments, contact Engineering Professional Practice at [log in to unmask] or 865-974-5323.
Career Services Announcements
For more information, visit the Career Services website.
Engineering, Science, & Technology STUDENTS & ALUMNI are invited to attend the first UT Knoxville Virtual Career Fair on April 14-15, a unique virtual event that helps job seekers meet employers in an efficient, environmentally-conscious way. Meet with companies “virtually” such as AMS, Amazon, B & W Y-12, Bechtel, Cree, Drake Software, Energy Technologies, Home Depot, Lexmark, National Instruments, Ryder, and more.
Register at www.UTKnox.CareerEco.net – Full-time, Internships, Summer Jobs. Compete your profile, upload your resume, RSVP to employers you are interested in and log in to the site during the company chat times on April 14th/15th to chat with employers – video chat suggested but you can chat without the camera option!
Register now and get more information and “tips” on Virtual Career Fair success at the UTK Career YouTube page.
What have others said about the Virtual Career Fair?
Please e-mail Leslie Fox at [log in to unmask] with any questions about Career Services.
If you have submissions for @COE, the college's electronic newsletter, please send them to Kim Cowart at [log in to unmask] by 12:00 noon on Thursdays.
