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Christopher Stephens, PhD (left), and Mohamed Mahfouz, PhD (right), help lead collaborative research through the Institute of Biomedical Engineering.

IBME formed for collaborative research

UT has launched the Institute of Biomedical Engineering (IBME) to research solutions to medical problems such as devices for improved delivery of medications and monitoring of patients; better imaging technology; regenerative models to help the body heal itself; and optimized efficiency in the healthcare setting. The institute was established in a joint effort by the College of Engineering, the Office of Research & Engagement, the UT Graduate School of Medicine (GSM), and UT College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM).

Dr. Mohamed Mahfouz, a professor of biomedical engineering in the Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Biomedical Engineering (MABE) is the director of the IBME. Dr. Eric T. Boder, an associate professor in the Department of Chemical and BioMolecular Engineering, is the institute’s academic director. Serving as research and outreach director is Dr. Christopher P. Stephens, medical-engineering liaison and an assistant professor in the COE, GSM, the Center for Materials Processing, and the biomedical engineering program in MABE.
Read more >>

Students participate in a project during the HITES program.

HITES recognized by NAMEPA

UT’s High School Introduction to Engineering Systems (HITES) was selected by the National Association of Multicultural Engineering Program Advocates (NAMEPA) as its 2013 Outstanding Pre-College/ Community Organization Award recipient.

The award recognizes HITES for inspiring students through college preparatory, retention, and graduation. The program serves as a model for research institutions and minority-serving institutions to increase minority engineering enrollment.
Read more >>

FACULTY NEWS

Dr. Howard Hall

INS, Baker Center host Moroccan delegation

A delegation of six leading academics from Morocco visited with Dr. Howard Hall and others from the UT Institute for Nuclear Security (INS) and UT's Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy on January 30, 2013, at the Baker Center. The Moroccan delegation is visiting several US universities as part of an exchange on developing nuclear security curricula within the university environment.
Read more >>

Hall is the director of the INS, which was recently featured in a news segment on Knoxville's WBIR-TV. He is also a professor and Governor's Chair in Nuclear Security for the Department of Nuclear Engineering and the Bredesen Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Graduate Education (CIRE); a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS); and a Senior Fellow and director of Global Security Programs at the Baker Center.

Dr. Jacqueline Johnson

UTSI professor nominated to ORNL committee

Dr. Jacqueline Johnson, associate professor in the Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Tennessee Space Institute (UTSI), has been nominated by her peers to serve as a science reviewer for the Powder Diffraction and Disordered Materials committee. This is one of seven committees of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory's (ORNL) Neutron Sciences Directorate. The other committees are Engineering Materials and Imaging, Triple Axis, Time of Flight,  Single Crystal Diffraction, Low Q - Reflectometry and SANS, and Low Energy/Chemical Spectroscopy.

The Science Review committees are comprised of neutron-scattering scientists plus scientists in associated fields from around the world.  Serving on the committee involves a three year term and the responsibility of reviewing the scientific merit of up to twenty proposals every six months in her area of expertise.

Dr. Mariya Zhuravleva

Dr. Mariya Zhuravleva will speak on scintillators

Dr. Mariya Zhuravleva, research assistant professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, will give a seminar on "Discovery, Synthesis, and Characterization of New Scintillator Crystals" at 1:00 p.m. Monday, March 4, in Room 414E of Ferris Hall. The seminar is presented by the Department of Materials Science and Engineering.
Read more >>

Dr. Chris Cherry

COE professors profiled for their research

Dr. Chris Cherry, assistant professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Dr. Lynne Parker, professor and associate head in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, were profiled this week in Tennessee Today for their research in the College of Engineering.

Cherry launched the nation’s first automated e-bike sharing system on UT’s campus. Called CycleUShare, it is a research and education project he works on with students.

Parker's research involves developing robots that are able to perform society’s most mundane and challenging tasks. One project involves training a robot to teach life skills to adults with learning disabilities.
Read more >>

Dr. Lynne Parker

STUDENT NEWS

Graduate students will present research highlights

S. Michelle Everett and Guoliang Li, graduate students in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, will present highlights of their research in back-to-back seminars at 12:40 p.m. Tuesday, March 5, in Room 612 of the Dougherty Engineering Building.

Everett, a student with Dr. Claudia Rawn's research group, will speak on "Structural and Kinetic Studies of Structure I & II Gas Hydrates" from 12:40 to 1:00 p.m.

Li, a student with Dr. Gerd Duscher's research group, will speak on "Structural and Kinetic Studies of Structure I & II Gas Hydrates" from 12:40 to 1:00 p.m.
Read more about these seminars>>

EVENTS

Candidates for ISE Department Head will present seminars

Dr. John Kobza, a candidate for professor and head of the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at the University of Tennessee will visit campus on Thursday, March 7.

Kobza is a professor in the Department of Industrial Engineering at Texas Tech University. He will present a seminar at 1:15 p.m., followed by an open forum at 2:00 p.m. in Room 414E of Ferris Hall.

Candidate finalists have visited UT over the past three weeks. Dr. Gregory Parnell visited campus on February 18; Dr. Heather Nachtmann visited February 20; and Dr. Nong Ye, visited on February 25.

Dr. Gwyneth Cravens will speak on communication about nuclear benefits

Writer and environmentalist Dr. Gwyneth Cravens, at right, will give a seminar titled "Getting Past 'Us Versus Them'" 2:30-3:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 13, in Room 307 of the Science and Engineering Research Facility (SERF).

Cravens will discuss ways in which the technical community can communicate with the public regarding the benefits of nuclear power.
Read more >>

Vanderbilt scholar will speak in MSE seminar

Dr. Xiao Shen, at right,will speak on "Synergy of Theory and Experiment – Probing the Structure and Dynamics in Complex Electronic and Energy Materials Systems" at 4:00 p.m. Thursday, March 7, in Room 414E of Ferris Hall. Shen is a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. The seminar is presented by the Department of Materials Science and Engineering.
Read more >>

Information sessions planned for Whitaker International Scholarship Program

The Office of National Scholarships and Fellowships (ONSF) at UT invites students to attend a special presentation on the Whitaker International Grants Program by Sabeen Altaf, senior program officer from the Whitaker Scholarship program and Institute of International Education (IIE-Fulbright).

Altaf will present information sessions 10:00-11:15 a.m. and noon-1:15 p.m. Friday, March 8, in Room 213 of Hodges Library.

The Whitaker International Program sends emerging leaders in US biomedical engineering (or bioengineering) overseas to undertake a self-designed project that will enhance their careers within the field. The goal of the program is to assist the development of professional leaders who are not only superb scientists, but who also will advance the profession through an international outlook. Along with supporting grant projects in an academic setting, the Whitaker International Program encourages grantees to engage in policy work and propose projects in an industry setting. Grants are available for: undergraduates, graduates, post-docs, faculty, and professionals.

All UT students, faculty, and staff are invited to attend.
Those interested should RSVP by registering here.
Read more about the program >>

STUDENT OPPORTUNITIES

COE Dining Etiquette Dinner and Workshop for Engineers

The Career Services Office at UT Knoxville invites senior and junior level engineering students to the Sixth Annual Dining Etiquette Dinner and Workshop for Engineers 5:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 12, in the Hermitage Room, on the third floor of the University Center. The deadline to sign up is Friday, March 1.

The evening includes an informal networking session with corporate sponsors at 5:30 p.m. and dinner at 6:00 p.m. Corporate sponsors for the dinner are ConAgra Foods, DENSO Manufacturing, Eastman Chemical Company, and International Paper. The student organization co-sponsor is Tau Beta Pi.

Career Services dining and business etiquette trainer Mary Mahoney will lead the discussion on appropriate mealtime etiquette for professional settings. Business casual dress is required for this event.

A $5 deposit is required to attend and must be brought to the Career Services Office at 100 Dunford Hall by 5:00 p.m. Friday, March 1. The deposit will be returned to you at the event for attending. You will not be registered for the event until you have paid your deposit.

To sign up, students should log into their HIRE-A-VOL accounts and select the 2013 College of Engineering Etiquette Dinner under the "Events" section. Deposits must then be dropped off to Career Services by February 26. Please note that you must do both to be considered registered for the event and to hold your seat. For more information, call the Career Services Office at 865-974-5435.

Applications are open for Gilman scholarship program

Students have one week left to submit applications for the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program. Online applications for study-abroad programs taking place during the Summer 2013 and Fall/Academic Year 2013-2014 terms must be submitted by Tuesday, March 5, at 11:59 p.m. Central Time in order to be considered. The advisor certification deadline is Tuesday, March 12.

The Gilman International Scholarship Program is sponsored by the US Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) and administered by the Institute of International Education (IIE). For more information, visit www.iie.org/gilman.

Trips offered for engineering students

Two trips are planned for spring and summer of 2013 to offer engineering students international experiences.

"Engineering in Madrid" is scheduled for May 11-18. It includes homestay accommodations with two meals per day; a guest engineering lecture; museum visits; cultural activities; a day-trip to Segovia; and a tour of an aerospace organization. Approximate cost is $1,800 plus air fare.

"Alternative Summer Break in Peru," based in Lima, is scheduled for August 10-17. It includes dormitory accommodations with three meals per day; an engineering-related service project in the mornings; cultural activities in the afternoon, including a Peru city tour. Approximate cost is $1,500 plus air fare.

A limited number of scholarships are available for these trips, in amounts up to $500 each. If interested, contact Judith Mallory at 865-974-9234 or [log in to unmask].

Volunteers sought for Science Saturdays program

Volunteers are sought for the "Science Saturdays" program at Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU). The program is looking for science students from all fields who are passionate about their own scientific education as well as sharing that interest with junior-high and high-school students. Contact Nichole Fazio-Veigel at [log in to unmask].
For more information about the program >>

CISML launches GRA program for MS students

The Center for Intelligent Systems and Machine Learning (CISML) has launched a new program titled Graduate Research Assistantship for Master Students (GRAMS). GRAMS is an assistantship program funded by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and the Science Alliance (a UT Center of Excellence). The program is restricted to master students who are US citizens and who are currently enrolled in full time graduate study at the University of Tennessee.
Read more >>

Summer research internships available for undergrads

Up to seventy internships at $2,000 each will be awarded to support students who will work on a research or creative project with a UT Knoxville faculty mentor during the summer of 2013. The UT Knoxville Office of Research administers this internship program.
Read more about the internships >>

Deadline nears for Gilman International Scholarship Program

Online applications for the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program for study abroad programs taking place during the Summer 2013 and Fall/Academic Year 2013-2014 terms must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Central Time on Tuesday, March 5, in order to be considered. The advisor certification deadline is Tuesday, March 12.

The Gilman International Scholarship Program is sponsored by the US Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) and administered by the Institute of International Education (IIE).  For more information about the Gilman Scholarship Program, including helpful resources for applicants and advisors, visit http://www.iie.org/gilman.

Open house scheduled for MBA programs

The UT Full-Time MBA Program and MS in Business Analytics Program will co-host an open house for prospective dual degree MBA/MS in Business Analytics (MBA/MSBA) candidates 6:00–8:00 p.m. Thursday, March 7, 2013, in the Haslam Business Building, Room 401. Registration begins at 5:45 p.m.

Representatives from this nationally ranked innovative, two-year program will present information on the structure of its integrated, team-based curriculum, the application and admissions process, financial aid, and career opportunities.

Admission is free and pre-registration is not required. You may park in the Volunteer Hall Garage located on White Avenue (please bring your parking ticket to registration for validation). For information, contact the UT MBA Program Office at 865-974-5033 or [log in to unmask].

RE3 workshop will be in Louisville, Kentucky

The 2013 Workshop on Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency (RE3) will be held March 24-26, at the Kentucky International Convention Center in Louisville, Kentucky.
Read more >> 
Register here >>

iSchool Inclusion Institute is accepting applications

The iSchool Inclusion Institute (i3), an undergraduate research and leadership development program that prepares students from underrepresented populations for graduate study and careers in the information sciences, is currently accepting applications. The institute is held each year in June at the University of Pittsburgh and includes two summer institutes and a year-long team research project. For more information >>

All application materials must be submitted by March 8, 2013. To apply to i3, students must submit an online application with essay questions, two letters of recommendation, and official undergraduate transcripts. i3 is funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and is hosted by the University of Pittsburgh's School of Information Sciences.

What else can you do with your major? You can now receive your degree and a secondary education teaching license with VolsTeach. The VolsTeach program is available to Math and Science majors who wish to expand their career options by earning a secondary education teaching license. Given the current economy VolsTeach offers one degree with two career paths which will make you more competitive in the future job market.

VolsTeach provides:

• early and frequent field experiences
• personal guidance by Master Teachers and program advisors
• the opportunity to have paid exclusive internships during regular and summer terms
• a comfortable learning environment that will further enhance your professional skill set

This is your opportunity to be a part of the program. VolsTeach is open to freshmen, sophomores and juniors who are ready to start a journey that will give them a chance to connect with the community. Become a part of this exciting venture by signing up for the Fall Step 1 course now.
Click on the flyer at left for registration information.
For more information contact VolsTeach Coach, Jada Johnson at [log in to unmask] or visit the program's Facebook page, VolsTeach, for current events, and the program's website, http://volsteach.utk.edu.

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.

Seeking Engineering Professional Practice Ambassadors:
If you are interested in becoming an ambassador for the Engineering Professional Practice office for the 2013-14 school year please let us know. Ambassadors must have participated in the co-op program and be on campus for the Fall 2013 and Spring 2014 semesters. Ambassadors represent our program to the underclassmen and help us with student orientation in our office for a few hours each week. Ambassadors also help with events such as our "Prep for Success" events and our Engineering Expos.

To indicate your interest, e-mail our office at [log in to unmask] to let us know.

Career Services News

Employer Information Sessions

Pepsi Information Session: 6:30-8 p.m. Wednesday, March 6, University Center, Rooms #223-224; Learn more about full-time and internship opportunities in their operations management and sales programs.

First Quantum Minerals (International Opportunities!), 3:30-4:30 p.m. March 11, Min Kao Room #405

International Paper, 6:00-8:00 p.m. Monday, March 11, University Center Hermitage Room (third Floor)

SEC/ACC Schools Virtual Career Fair
April 2-4, 2013
Still looking for a full-time post-graduation opportunity or an internship?  Consider signing up to participate in the SEC/ACC Schools “Just In Time” Virtual Career Fair.

To register or view the list of scheduled employers, log onto http://secacc.careereco.net/.  There is no cost for students and alumni to participate. This event is hosted by CareerEco and UT Career Services.  Please contact UT Career Services at 865-974-5435 with any questions.

For more information, contact April Gonzalez , Career Services Consultant, College of Engineering at [log in to unmask] or 865-974-5435.

Check out www.career.utk.edu for a list of all upcoming events.

The Office of Multicultural Student Life offers these academic services.

Vols Success Seminars: During the Spring semester, in collaboration with the Student Success Center and other campus departments, Vols Success Seminars will be offered to all UT students. This series of workshops is designed to equip all students with the knowledge and resources to be successful, inside and outside of the classroom at the UT. Students can register in advance for each workshop at multicultural.utk.edu or studentsuccess.utk.edu. View the Vols Success Seminars Spring 2013 calendar >>