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For the week of
November 11, 2011
@COE is published on a weekly basis. The next edition will be sent out on Friday, Nov. 18.
Please send submissions for @COE to Julie Stansberry in the Engineering Communications Office at [log in to unmask] by noon on Thursdays.
Student News
Scholarship Information Available
Information about ACEC and ACEC of Tennessee's scholarships is now available at http://www.acectn.org/Scholar.htm. The deadline for submitting applications is January 20, 2012.
AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellowships Application Deadline Approaches
The application deadline for the 2012-2013 AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellowships is quickly approaching. The deadline to apply is Dec. 5, 2011, at 5 p.m. EST.
Opportunities
Placement opportunities are available in congressional offices and 15 executive branch agencies. The five fellowship areas offered for September 2012 through August 2013 are:
• Congressional
• Diplomacy, Security & Development
• Energy, Environment & Agriculture
• Health, Education & Human Services
• Roger Revelle Fellowship in Global Stewardship
Eligibility
To be considered for a fellowship, all successful applicants must hold a doctoral level degree (PhD, MD, DVM, etc.) in any of the following:
• Social/Behavioral Sciences
• Medical/Health Disciplines
• Biological, Physical or Earth Sciences
• Computational Sciences and Mathematics
• Engineering Disciplines (applicants with a master's degree in engineering and three or more years of post-degree professional experience also qualify).
Non U.S. citizens and federal employees are not eligible for the AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellowships. Visit the Fellowships website to learn more about eligibility requirements.
Benefits
Stipends range from approximately $74,000 to $99,000 (depending on years of experience and previous salary). Other benefits include health insurance, travel/training allowance and relocation allowance. For more information about benefits, click here.
To learn more about the AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellowships, visit the website at http://fellowships.aaas.org. Please contact the Fellowships staff at [log in to unmask] or 202-326-6700 with questions.
UT Celebrates International Education Week
Monday, Nov. 14, 2011, 4-5 p.m.
The Benefits of “Internationalizing” Your Education
A session about the importance of including an international focus as part of your education
Venue: University Center Room 226
Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2011, 2:30-3:30 p.m.
Fulbright? Marshall? Rhodes?: Which Program is Right for You?
Learn about the opportunities, timelines and procedures for the nation’s most prestigious fellowships and scholarships
Venue: Greer Room, Hodges Library
Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2011, 4-5 p.m.
Teach English in China during Summer 2012
An information session about UT’s Tsinghua Program
Venue: International House Great Room
Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2011, 4-5 p.m.
Peace Corps – A “Life-Defining Leadership Experience”
An information session about the Peace Corps and the opportunities for you to impact the world
Venue: Greer Room, Hodges Library
Thursday, Nov. 17, 2011, 1-3 p.m.
McClure Scholarship International Projects Gallery
International research projects showcase by recipients of the McClure Scholarship, and information about how to apply for the McClure Scholarship
Venue: International House Great Room
Thursday, Nov. 17, 2011, 3-4 p.m.
Study Abroad from the Student Perspective
Returning students talking about personal experiences for you to learn how to take advantage of the opportunity yourself
Venue: University Center Room 226
International Education Week is sponsored by the Center for International Education (CIE), UTK. For more information, contact CIE at 865-974-4453 or [log in to unmask], or visit http://international.utk.edu/.
MBA Program Open House Announcement
The University of Tennessee’s Full-Time MBA program will host an open house for prospective MBA candidates on Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2011 from 6-8 p.m. in the James A. Haslam II Business Building, Room 402. Registration will begin at 5:45 p.m.
Representatives of the innovative, 17-month program will present information on the structure of its integrated, team-based curriculum, the application & admissions process, financial aid and career opportunities. Admission is free, and pre-registration is not required. You may park in the University Center Parking Garage located on Phillip Fulmer Way. (Please bring your parking ticket to registration for validation.)
For more information, contact the UT MBA Program Office at 865-974-5033 or [log in to unmask].
Information Session: Tsinghua English Summer Camp
Do you want to experience something new this summer? Have you ever thought about traveling to Beijing? Are you interested in teaching English to Chinese students? Why not combine these interests and apply to be a participant in the Tsinghua English Summer Camp for 2012!
Faculty, staff, graduate students and undergraduates are eligible to apply. Lodging, food and a stipend are provided. Participants only need to pay for the plane ticket, visa and personal expenses.
Dates of Summer Camp: 3 weeks (end of June-middle of July)
The Center for International Education will hold an information session as part of International Education Week.
Date: Tuesday, Nov. 15 at 4 p.m.
Location: Great Room, International House
Past participants will present on what it is like to be a teacher or volunteer at the camp and answer your questions. Applications will open in December and close in early February.
The Tsinghua English Summer Camp is one of the largest language summer camps in the world! Approximately 3,200 Chinese students between their freshman and sophomore years will attend the camp on Tsinghua's campus in Beijing, China. The goal is to increase the Chinese students' interest and enthusiasm for learning English as well as to improve basic reading, writing, listening and speaking skills. The Chinese students will be taught by teachers and student volunteers from numerous colleges and universities in the U.S. UTK has been invited to send a contingent of teachers and volunteers to participate in their 3-week summer camp. The UTK group will be selected through a competitive process. The camp will be an intensive English language experience for all the Chinese participants. Each day will be devoted to a variety of activities, formal classroom instruction, lectures and various activities including singing, speech competition practice, skits, games and other performances.
Contact: Alisa Meador, Center for International Education ([log in to unmask])
Inaugural Watershed Symposium Announcement
Please join the Watershed Minor Faculty for the First Annual Watershed Symposium on Monday, Nov. 14 in the University Center Ballroom to learn about current research and activities in the area of watershed management and a new undergraduate and graduate minor in Watersheds. There will be a technical session including oral presentations (listed below) and poster presentations. Refreshments will be provided. Watershed studies are an important part of advancing the science and engineering for water and environmental conservation, policy and public health, and we are pleased to begin to offer this minor to students beginning in Fall 2012. Come meet the Watershed Minor Faculty, and learn how you can obtain a minor in Watersheds.
Symposium Agenda
Global Security, Arms Control and Threat Reduction Panel a Success
On Nov.1, Dr. Howard Hall, Governor's Chair professor of Global Nuclear Security, on behalf of the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy, hosted a panel discussion event at the Carolyn P. Brown Memorial University Center at the University of Tennessee. The panel focused on the issues of arms control treaties and their verification, as well as cooperative threat reduction programs.
The event was sponsored by Oak Ridge National Lab, Y-12 National Security Complex, the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy and Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU). Panel members included visiting Ambassador Bonnie Jenkins from the State Department’s Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation; Ambassador Thomas Graham, Jr., former senior level State 
Department diplomat; Howard Hall from ORNL, the Howard Baker Center, and the Department of Nuclear Engineering at UT; Brandon Prins from the Howard Baker Center and the political science department at UT; Jason Roback from ORNL’s Defense Threat Reduction Agency; and Joseph Stainback from Y-12’s Security and Consequence Management Initiative and the Department of Industrial and Information Engineering at UT. In addition, Eric Abelquist from ORAU moderated the event and posed questions to the panel.
The panel sparked good discussion on treaty verification and highlighted the activities at ORNL, Y-12 and the Department of State that combat proliferation and reduce security threats. The panel also spurred active participation by audience members, which included an array of students, ORNL/Y-12 employees and Knoxvillians. The event was made possible by the participation of the panelists as well as support from ORNL’s Jim Sumner, Teressa McKinney, Dawn Eipeldauer, Tim Margrave and Ann Pederson, and the Baker Center’s Carl Pierce and Nissa Dahlin-Brown.
Faculty News
EECS Research Professor Volunteers Time to Assess Fire Research Laboratory
Dr. Dave Icove, PE, a research professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, volunteered his time last month on an expert panel that assessed the Fire Research Laboratory at the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Ammendale, Maryland. Icove reviewed the electrical fire research conducted at the ATF facility for the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors (ASCLD), the national certifying agency of public and private forensic laboratories.
CEE Faculty Member Formally Relieved of Command, Awarded Medal
CAPT Glenn Tootle, U.S. Navy (assistant professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering), was formally relieved of command of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion TWO FIVE, a 550+ “Seabee” battalion headquartered at Fort McCoy, Wis., on Nov. 5. As the Commanding Officer of a commissioned unit, he oversaw day-to-day operations for the past two years and the deployment of more than 200 personnel to U.S. Southern Command, which included responding to the devastating earthquake in Haiti. He was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal for his outstanding leadership and was detailed to Naval Facilities Engineering Command in Washington, D.C. Congratulations, Dr. Tootle!
UTSI Professor Receives Fellowship
Dr. Jackie Johnson, professor at The University of Tennessee Space Institute (UTSI), has been named a Fellow of the Institute of Physics (IOP) in recognition of her personal contribution to the advancement of physics as a discipline and a profession, as well as for work in characterization of amorphous materials and developing an x-ray image plate for mammography.
"It is a great honor to be elected a Fellow of such a prestigious society and recognized for something I very much enjoy," Johnson said on receiving the news of her selection as a fellow.
Johnson received her Ph.D. in physics from the University of Liverpool in the UK in 1985. From 1995 to 2007, she worked at Argonne National Laboratory as a scientist where she studied the structure of glasses and other amorphous materials. During November of 2007, Johnson joined UTSI as an associate professor. As a member of the Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Biomedical Engineering, she works on glass ceramics for image plates, solar up-converters and diamond-like carbon coatings for biomedical applications.
The IOP is a leading scientific society promoting physics and bringing physicists together for the benefit of all. The IOP works to advance physics research, application and education, and engages with policy makers and the public to develop awareness and understanding of physics.
Fellowship in the IOP is awarded through the recommendation of colleagues and other fellows to those who have made an important contribution to physics, the profession of physicist, or as a physicist in their chosen career.
CURENT Holds Two-Day Kickoff
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s newly established Engineering Research Center, CURENT (Center for Ultra-wide-area Resilient Electric Energy Transmission Networks), held a kickoff meeting at the downtown Knoxville Hilton Hotel and the UT Conference Center on Oct. 24-25. The center is funded jointly by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).
Campus leaders, industry partners and representatives from both the NSF and the DOE were among the 70 people in attendance at the two-day event. The kick-off was held to present ongoing research and strategic planning for the operation of the $18.5 million research center. CURENT’s research will focus on improving electric power transmission across the United States. The grant will fund the center for five years, with the potential for an additional five years depending on research outcomes.
The 2012 HERS Institutes
Chancellor Jimmy Cheek and the Commission for Women want to sponsor an outstanding woman to attend a Higher Education Resource Services (HERS) Institute in 2012. Women faculty members or administrators who have a proven record of professional growth and responsibility, and who have a keen interest in campus administration and the challenges of growing a university rich in international and intercultural diversity, are encouraged to review the Institutes and apply for the one that best suits individual circumstances. The Bryn Mawr Summer Institute offers a two-week residential program. The HERS Institute at Wellesley College offers four three-day sessions across the 2012-2013 academic year. The HERS Institute at the University of Denver offers a two-week residential program. Please visit the HERS website for more information.
HERS Institutes have earned sterling reputations for expanding horizons, providing exposure to new and exciting ideas, fostering enduring mentoring relationships and preparing women for institutional leadership roles.
The campus selection process will require that each applicant submit three items: a current CV; a letter describing the applicant’s reasons for application and how she will contribute to our international and intercultural initiatives; and a letter of support from her dean, director, department head or supervisor. Send these items electronically to:
Mary E. Papke, Chair, Commission for Women; [log in to unmask].
Application materials must arrive at the Institutes by Dec. 1, 2011; therefore, the UT application deadline is Nov. 11, 2011. Outstanding applicants will be recommended to Chancellor Cheek for review of campus materials and selection of this year’s candidate. The candidate must then apply to her chosen Institute and provide required documents by the Institute’s deadline.
Please contact Mary Papke if you have questions.
Engineering Professional Practice Announcement
FedEx Services Information Session
SUMMER INTERN OPPORTUNITIES
Tuesday, Nov. 15
University Center Crest Room
5-7 p.m.
Stay up-to-date with Engineering Professional Practice information and events by clicking the “Like” button on the program’s 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: Gabrielle Sobel
Our featured student this week is Gabrielle Sobel, a civil engineering major who has completed her co-op with Jacobs, formerly Jordan, Jones & Goulding, Inc. (JJG), in Knoxville, Tenn.
Sobel's co-op assignment consisted of working with the surveyor, where they would go out and survey with the total station and would use GPS to find control points.
"I also worked with CADD and learned GIS," Sobel said. Among the many other things she learned were what record drawings were.
She advises new co-op students to “be ready to go out in the field in rain or shine, 100 degree or 30 degree weather!”
A valuable benefit she received by accepting this co-op assignment was ”understanding the inter-workings and stages a project goes through on its way to completion."
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.
Seminar Announcement
Materials Graduate Seminar
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2011
1:25 p.m. Dougherty Engineering Building, Room 612
Speaker: Dr. Kurt Sickafus
Alvin and Sally Beaman Professor and Head
Department of Materials Science & Engineering, The University of Tennessee
Radiation-Induced Swelling in Oxide Pyrochlores
Abstract: Ion irradiation experiments and atomistic simulations were used to demonstrate that irradiation-induced lattice swelling in a complex oxide, Lu2Ti2O7, is due primarily to the formation of cation antisite defects. X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed that cation antisite formation correlates directly with lattice swelling and indicates that the volume per antisite pair is approximately 12 Å3. First principles calculations revealed that lattice swelling is best explained by near-neighbor antisite defects. Temperature accelerated dynamics simulations indicate that cation Frenkel defects are metastable and decay to form antisite defects.
Biography: Dr. Kurt Sickafus joined the University of Tennessee in August 2011 as the Head of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. He graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University in 1978 and received his Ph.D. from Cornell University in 1985 (Materials Science & Engineering). Sickafus also worked as a postdoctoral researcher in the Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge (1985-1987) and as a staff member at I.B.M. (1987-88) and Los Alamos National Laboratory (1989-2011). His primary expertise is in the area of radiation damage effects in ceramics, especially the radiation damage behavior of complex oxides. He is a Fellow of both Los Alamos National Laboratory and the American Ceramic Society.
Contact: Dr. Peter Liaw, [log in to unmask], 974-6356
Career Services Announcements
EF 301 – Career Services for Engineers
Planning your class schedule for Spring 2012? 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!
Get Ready for Spring 2012 Recruiting Dates!
Summer Job & Internship Fair
Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2012, 2 p.m.-5 p.m., UC Ballroom
Interact with employers to find out more about summer part-time jobs/short-term experiences and non-academic credit internships. A list of employers attending will be available online via HIRE-A-VOL in mid-January 2012.
College of Engineering Etiquette Dinner for Engineers Workshop
Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2012, 5:30 p.m.-8:00 p.m., UC Hermitage Room
Students enjoy a free 4-course meal and interact with employers in a less formal networking environment while learning more about dining in a professional or business setting. Registration will be available via HIRE-A-VOL in mid-January 2012. Seating is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Employer Sponsors: ConAgra Foods, Inc., DENSO Manufacturing, Eastman Chemical & Mechanical Resource Group
Student Organization Co-sponsors: National Society of Black Engineers, Society of Women Engineers & Theta Tau
Diversity Job Fair
Tuesday, March 6, 2012, 3 p.m.-5 p.m., UC Ballroom
Meet with employers interested in recruiting students with diverse backgrounds and experiences. A list of employers attending will be available online via HIRE-A-VOL during the beginning of the Spring 2012 semester.
Spring 2012 Job Fair
Wednesday, March 7, 2012, 2 p.m.-6 p.m., Thompson-Boling Arena
Meet with employers recruiting for full-time post-graduation, part-time summer experiences and non-academic credit internships. A list of employers attending will be available online via HIRE-A-VOL during the start of the Spring 2012 semester.
Attention: Seniors & Graduate Students Graduating in December 2011
Don’t forget to complete the Post-Graduation Survey.
Congratulations from all of us in the UT Career Services Office upon your upcoming graduation! It has been my pleasure to work with many of you, and I wish you the best in your life and new endeavors! In order to keep Career Services’ records up-to-date and provide the best service to you, please take a moment to fill out the Post-Graduation Survey via HIRE-A-VOL.
To complete the survey, log in to your Hire-A-Vol student or alumni account:
https://utk-csm.symplicity.com/students
User Name: your entire email address
Password: your net id password
Find the Graduate Placement Survey link on your homepage on the right hand side under the Career Tools and Advising Section. On the survey page, please click on Add New and fill out your placement information.** Your submitted information will be anonymously included in our Annual Report as well as shared with College of Engineering, prospective students and employers interested in recruiting at the university. All the individual information will remain confidential and will only be reported in aggregate form.
**If you have any difficulties accessing our survey, you may also email your placement data to [log in to unmask] Please include your name, email address, employment status (Still seeking, Graduate School, Internship/Summer Job, Out of Job Market, Employed), company or grad school, salary/wage and location of new job or grad school.
Again, congratulations and thank you for completing the Post-Graduation Survey.
Regards,
April Gonzalez
Career Consultant-College of Engineering
UTK Career Services
100 Dunford Hall
[log in to unmask]
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.