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For the week of April 15, 2011
@COE is published on a weekly basis; however, the next edition will not be sent out until Friday, April 29 because of the Spring Holiday. Please send submissions for @COE to Julie Stansberry in the Engineering Communications Office at [log in to unmask] by noon on Thursdays.
College of Engineering Faculty & Staff Awards Dinner
The College of Engineering held its annual Faculty & Staff Awards Dinner on April 7, 2011, at The Foundry in Knoxville. The awards ceremony included the presentation of college-wide faculty and staff awards, college-wide research awards and the Nathan W. Dougherty Award. See below for photos from last week's event.
Engineering Professional Practice Announcement
Stay up-to-date with Engineering Professional Practice information and events by clicking the “Like” button on the program’s new Facebook page, following the program on Twitter, visiting its website at www.coop.utk.edu or calling 865-974-5323.
Students, please note: If you receive a co-op or internship offer, please contact Engineering Professional Practice for help with paperwork and any preparations you may need – [log in to unmask], 865-974-5323 or 310 Perkins Hall.
Engineering Professional Practice Student Feature
Featured student: Logan Taylor
Logan Taylor is a junior electrical engineering major working a co-op assignment with Denso Manufacturing in Tennessee during this Spring 2011 semester.
Taylor is working in the machinery and tools division, where his responsibilities include ordering EE parts needed to make the machine run, drawing the electrical diagrams and wiring for the machine and programming the PLC for running the cycle the machine would have to do in order to make the part. Other responsibilities include copying drawings, customer interaction, drawing up quotes for machines and redoing old drawings to bring them up to date.
During his co-op experience, he has learned new technical skills using the following software packages: Promis-e (E-CAD), Gx Programmer, Omron programming, Rslogix and Visio. He has learned a lot of PLC ladder logic languages, vision systems like Keyence and Cognex, and robot programming pendants for Denso robots and other robots.
The greatest challenge Taylor has experienced was having a number of different projects due on the same day and learning to prioritize them in advance. He has improved his time management and organizational skills through this experience.
Taylor stated that the most valuable benefit he received by accepting this co-op experience was, “experience in both the finance and the engineering side of the whole business and designing process." His advice to co-op applicants considering this employer: “Understand programming, and have a background in it; Visual Basic is a big help. Also, be able to adapt and learn many types of language and programming techniques because they use whatever the buyer wants, so the market out there is in the 100s for PLC, which means the language for each is different."
Students may read more about their peers’ co-op/internship experiences by logging into their Engineering Professional Practice profile via www.coop.utk.edu, clicking “Resource Library” (on the left margin) and selecting “Students at Work – In Their Own Words.”
For information on engineering co-op and internships, contact Engineering Professional Practice at [log in to unmask] or 865-974-5323.
Student News
Summer Internship Opportunity
Many research problems in science and engineering rely on both interdisciplinary knowledge and sophisticated computing. The Remote Data Analysis and Visualization (RDAV) Center seeks motivated undergraduate students who are eager to tackle these challenges by using high performance computing to attack research problems in the biological or engineering sciences.
Are you interested in working with computational models to address problems ranging from harnessing the destructive forces of hurricanes to answering fundamental questions in biology and ecology to designing extremely energy efficient buildings? Then this opportunity may be right for you! RDAV seeks students with a passion for real-world problems, an understanding of science or engineering and the computer science skills to take advantage of high-performance computing resources. Ideal students will be majoring in a science or engineering discipline with a strong background in computer science; students in all majors will be considered. We highly encourage applications from students from under-represented groups.
To apply, please send the following to Dr. Amy Szczepanski at [log in to unmask]:
Personal statement (250-500 words) describing your interest in and qualifications for this position
Resume or CV
Contact information of a professor who would be willing to support your application.
Please send all documents in either plain text (.txt) or PDF format.
For highest priority, apply by Monday, April 18. RDAV will continue to review all applications until all positions are filled, with expectations to hire three students.
Salary is $15/hour for 40 hours/week and 10-12 weeks. $500 travel is available.
RDAV is managed by the University of Tennessee with the National Institute for Computational Sciences and located on the campus of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Oak Ridge, Tenn.
http://rdav.nics.tennessee.edu/
http://www.nics.tennessee.edu/
Faculty News
Reminder to all UT Knoxville Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty:
All tenured and tenure-track faculty are invited to a brown bag information session on First Year Studies 129 freshman seminars on April 19 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in Room 221 of the University Center.
At 12:30 p.m., Dr. Michael Handelsman will share some specific ideas. Drop in for as long as you can. Bring a lunch, and plan to enjoy the drinks and desserts that will be provided.
The FYS 129 seminars are an important part of retention efforts. Faculty members can help students make the transition from high school to college as they study in a seminar environment.
Please RSVP to Michelle Gilbert, [log in to unmask], by April 18.
FIRST® Robotics News
2011 Smoky Mountains Regional: FIRST® Robotics Competition
What do astronauts, the Macarena, and high school kids dressed in colorful costumes have in common? The 2011 Smoky Mountains Regional: FIRST® ROBOTICS COMPETITION (FRC)! Forty-six robotic teams from 14 states descended upon the Knoxville Convention Center March 31 – April 2 to compete in Tennessee’s inaugural FRC Regional Competition.
The FIRST® Robotics Competition is a long-standing challenge to inspire curiosity and create interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics among high school students. Each year, FIRST® presents a new robotics competition scenario with twists and nuances to challenge both rookie and veteran teams. Each team receives a kit of parts and has six weeks to design and build a robot based on the team's interpretation of the game scenario. Other than dimension and weight restrictions, the look and function of the robots are up to each individual team.
In this year’s game, “LOGO MOTION,” two alliances of three teams competed on a 27-by-54-foot field with poles, while attempting to earn points by hanging as many triangle, circle and square logo pieces as possible. Bonus points were earned for each robot that could hang and assemble logo pieces to form the FIRST® logo. Robots also deployed mini-bots that climbed vertical poles for a chance to earn additional points.
During the competition, teams of students competed for honors and recognition that rewarded design excellence, competitive play, sportsmanship and outreach toward schools, area businesses and communities. The winners of the Smoky Mountains Regional will advance to the FIRST® Championship Event, which is held in St. Louis, Mo., April 27-30.
This year, Tennessee Team #3824, The Hawks of Hardin Valley Academy, took the Rookie All Star Award and the Highest Rookie Seed Award, and will advance to the St. Louis Championship. Memphis, Tenn. Team #3227, the Robowolves from Cordova High School, took the Judges Award. Webb School of Knoxville student, Ishi Keenum, was awarded as a FIRST® Dean’s List Finalist, and Team #3675 at Seymour High School took the Rookie Inspiration Award! Congratulations, Tennessee!
FIRST® Background
FIRST® was founded in 1989 by inventor Dean Kamen to inspire young people's interest and participation in science and technology. Based in Manchester, N.H., the not-for-profit organization designs accessible, innovative programs that motivate young people to pursue education and career opportunities in science, technology, engineering and math, while building self-confidence, knowledge, leadership and life skills. Tennessee FIRST® Sponsors include NASA, JCPenney, SAIC, ORNL, DENSO, ALCOA, TVA, Kendall Electric, and The University of Tennessee College of Engineering.
For more info, visit www.usfirst.org. or www.tnfirst.org.
Seminar Announcement
Materials Graduate Seminar
Department of Materials Science & Engineering
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
1:25 p.m.
Dougherty Engineering Building, Room 612
Speaker: Andre Pereira
Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotecnology
IFIMUP and Physics Department of Porto University, Portugal
Rare-Earth Nanostratified Compounds with Novel Potentialities for Refrigeration and Magnetic Sensors
The magnetocaloric effect (MCE) is common to all magnetic materials and arises from coupling between lattice and magnetic degrees of freedom. The main technological application of this effect is magnetic cooling, which is promising due to high efficiency and eco-friendliness, compared to traditional cooling methods. Among a wide range of compounds with MCE, at IFIMUP-IN Pereira studies the R5(Si,Ge)4 family, which is pointed out as the best candidate to be used on refrigeration technology. During this seminar, several physical topics concerning the nature of the giant MCE that these materials present and alternatives to tune the MCE values will be discussed. Other physical aspects giving higher attention to the exotic magnetic phases (Griffiths-like phase) that these materials present and correlated these effect with the strong interplay between magnetic and atomic structure will be discussed. Finally and concerning the technological applications, a new design of a micro solid state refrigeration system without using liquids as coolant will be presented.
Research areas:
• Magnetorefrigeration (main research)
• Magnetic nanoparticles and nanostructures (nanowires and nanotubes)
• Thermoelectric nanostructures (pos-doc project)
Domain of Specialization:
• Synthesis of polycrystalline compounds by arc melting and RF-induction
• Transport phenomena (electrical resistivity, Seebeck effect and thermoconducitivity).
• Magnetic properties (SQUID and VSM), elastic properties (Linear Thermal Expansion and magnetostriction)
• Pulsed high magnetic fields (up to 20 T); magnetoresistance and magnetostriction
Selected publications:
1. “Understanding the role played by Fe on the tuning of magnetocaloric effect in Tb5Si2Ge2," A. M. Pereira, A. M. dos Santos, C. Magen, J. B. Sousa, P. A. Algarabel, Y. Ren, C. Ritter, L. Morellon, M. R. Ibarra, and J. P. Araújo, Appl. Phys. Lett. 98 (2011) 122501.
2. “Griffiths-like phase of magnetocaloric R5(SixGe1−x)4 (R=Gd, Tb, Dy, and Ho)” A. M. Pereira, L. Morellon, C. Magen, J. Ventura, P. A. Algarabel, M. R. Ibarra, J. B. Sousa, and J. P. Araújo, Phys. Rev. B 82, (2010) 1724
Contact: Dr. Ramki Kalyanaraman [log in to unmask] 974-5539
Career Services Announcements
EF 301 – Career Services for Engineers
Planning your class schedule for Fall 2011? Don’t forget to register for EF 301 – Engineering Career Planning!
This class is offered each Spring and Fall semester and is taught at Career Services, 100 Dunford Hall on Mondays, 1:25 – 2:15 p.m. This class is a perfect fit for all juniors and seniors and will equip students with the right tools to land that great job. Sophomores and graduate students may also register for the course. The class is offered on a 1-hour Satisfactory/No Credit basis and is taught by Career Services Consultant for the College of Engineering, April Gonzalez. Expect visits from company representatives, tips and tricks from HR Recruiters, advice on resumes, cover letters, interviewing and salary negotiation, and learn the ways you can stand out and get noticed at the job fairs.
Here’s what students are saying about the class:
“This is the most useful non-engineering class I have ever taken. It gave me insider information about what employers are looking for during interviews, and I have a resume that I feel great about!”
“I felt that I knew exactly what the companies were looking for at the job fair and on my interviews. The tips we got in class really helped me feel comfortable talking to the employers.”
“This class exceeded all my expectations – it really works!”
Don’t wait to sign up as space is limited, and the class will fill up fast!
Be ready for Fall Recruiting!
Part-Time Job Fair
• Wednesday, August 24
Career Services Kick-Off Cookout
• Thursday, September 1
Engineering Career Success Week
• Monday–Friday, September 12–16
Volunteer & Service Corps Fair
• Tuesday, September 13
Graduate School for Engineers Workshop
• Wednesday, September 14
Logistics Fair (Industrial Engineers invited)
• Monday, September 26
Fall Job Fair
• Tuesday, September 27
Students who need an appointment to review their resume, discuss their job search or who have any career-related questions are encouraged to contact the College of Engineering Career Consultant, April Gonzalez at 865-974-5435 or via e-mail at [log in to unmask]
For more information, visit the Career Services Web site.
If you have submissions for @COE, the college's electronic newsletter, please send them to Julie Stansberry at [log in to unmask] by noon on Thursdays.
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