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Celebrate 175 Years of Engineering in style with fashion items from the COE Store

College of Engineering students, faculty, staff, and alumni (and anyone else) can join in celebrating 175 Years of Engineering with embroidered apparel available from the COE Store. Items include men's and women's shirts, jackets, fleece vests, and ball caps.
See the selections >>

FACULTY & STAFF NEWS

COE faculty and researchers receive Chancellor’s Award

A multidisciplinary team representing two colleges and four departments was recognized by the University of Tennessee Chancellor’s Office with a Multidisciplinary Research Award at the Chancellor’s Honors Banquet Ceremony on April 8, 2013, for research on “Transformational Scintillation Materials for Neutron and Gamma Detectors and Education Integration.”

The US Department of Homeland Security has tasked them with developing needed radiation measurement capabilities through a $2 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Principal investigators for this five-year NSF/DHS ARI award are Dr. Laurence Miller, above left, a professor in the Department of Nuclear Engineering; Dr. Dayakar Penumadu, above right, professor and head of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering; and Dr. Charles Melcher, at left, director of the Scintillation Materials Research Center (SMRC).
Read more >>

Dr. Jian Huang

Charles Chin

COE competitors move forward in Knoxville Chamber competition

Dr. Jian Huang, an associate professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; and Charles Chin, a PhD student with the Bredesen Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Education, and their respective teams have advanced in a business-plan competition presented by the Knoxville Chamber.

The "What's the Big Idea?"competition, structurally inspired by the television singing contest "The Voice," initially featured around fifteen contestants pitching ideas to three "coaches" from local businesses. After first narrowing the field to nine, a second round on June 3 produced three finalists, including Huang and Chin.

Huang's creation for the contest is called Survature, an online survey tool that enhances Web-based surveys. Survature uses a patent-pending technology called AnswerCloud to offer added insight on the opinions of those taking a survey.

Chin's entry, Neural Energy Games, creates educational video games to reimagine the way that college freshmen learn introductory level biology, chemistry, and physics.
Read more >>

The finale of the competition will take place 5:00-7:00 p.m. Thursday, June 20, at the Relix Variety Theatre, 1208 N. Central St. Read about the finale >>

Opportunity: NSF offers STEM research funding

The National Science Foundation (NSF) offers funding for research in areas of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) through its Directorate for Education & Human Resources (EHR) Core Research (ERC) program. EHR seeks proposals that will help synthesize, build and/or expand research foundations in the following core areas: STEM learning, STEM learning environments, workforce development, and broadening participation in STEM. Researchers are invited to identify and conduct research on questions or issues in order to advance the improvement of STEM learning in general, or to address specific challenges of great importance.

Deadlines for submissions are on July 12, 2013; February 4, 2014; and on the first Tuesday in February, annually thereafter.
Read more >>

STUDENT NEWS

From left, Dr. Roberto Benson with PhD student Pelagie Favi

Favi delivers first-place presentation

Pelagie Favi, a PhD student in materials science and engineering, recently earned the first-place award for graduate student presentation at the Comparative and Experimental Medicine and Public Health (CEMPH) Research Symposium, held at The University of Tennessee, Agricultural Campus, May 20-21, 2013.

Favi’s award-winning presentation was entitled "Engineering Biodegradable Microporous Bacterial Cellulose Scaffolds and its Biomimetic Composites for Bone and Cartilage Tissue Regeneration." Her PhD advisor is Dr. Roberto Benson.

Faculty-led study-abroad class checks in from London

The 2013 Engineering in London class

The 2013 Engineering in London program is under way through July 3. Dr. Roger Parsons reports that the class is going well.

"The weather has been cooperating in a most non-London-like way," said Parsons. "Our students are excited about adventures planned for their first free weekend."

The class group is shown above at the London Science Museum in front of Charles Babbage's Difference Engine, discussed in Dr. Michael Berry's Development of Computing course.
Read more >>

Engineering students receive Boyd Venture Fund grants

Collin Howser and Trevor Grieco, both biomedical engineering majors, received grants from the Boyd Venture Fund for their business, PTlink LLC. The company seeks to help physical therapists and patients to stay connected via an interactive mobile app, allowing for improved communication and recovery.

The app has two components: A clinician can create a rehab program, while a patient can go through the therapy electronically. The patient and the clinician are linked throughout the rehabilitation process. The Boyd Venture Fund award will allow the Howser and Grieco to do extensive market research to validate or modify the product features.
Read more >>

DEPARTMENTAL NEWS

Video profile and newsletter available from MSE

The Department of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) has produced a new video profile featuring students and faculty offering a look at their research and activities.
Watch the video >>

Also available is materialsUT, the department's newsletter.
View a PDF of materialsUT >>
Read more about MSE >>

EVENTS

Middle-school girls take an Adventure in STEM at CURENT

Twenty middle-school girls from across the state participated in a week filled with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) projects during the second annual "Adventures in STEM" summer camp, hosted by CURENT June 3-7.

The students worked with CURENT, the National Institute of Mathematical & Biological Synthesis (NIMBioS), and Tennessee 4-H throughout the week. Each department brought hands-on activities and group projects into the classroom so that the girls could explore a range of STEM-related fields and professions.

The Adventures in STEM summer program is part of CURENT's mission to engage students from an early age in STEM-related fields, especially engineering.
Read more >>

STUDENT OPPORTUNITIES

Student One Stop Center opens

The One Stop Express Student Services center opened this week, bringing together most enrollment, registration, financial aid, and payment services into one location. Rather than having to call or visit three offices, students can now get most of the help they need from One Stop.

Students can access One Stop by phone at 974-1111, online at onestop.utk.edu, or in person at the One Stop center on the ground floor of John C. Hodges Library, which will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The offices of the registrar, bursar, and financial aid and scholarships remain open to support the One Stop center and to assist with more entailed student needs.
Read more >>

Alternative summer-break trip offered for engineering students

"Alternative Summer Break in Peru," based in Cusco, is scheduled for August 10-17, 2013. 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 $1,550 plus airfare.

Approximately 50% of participants' time will be spent on an engineering-related service project, with the remaining time devoted to cultural activities and free time. The project will take place in the Manu Biosphere Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Activity examples during the service project include constructing a canopy tower in the Amazon, building a structure over an oxbow lake as part of a wetland monitoring project, construction of biogarden roofs, and construction of a catamaran. For the cultural portion of the trip, participants will visit Machu Picchu, the lost city of the Incas, tour an off-the-grid eco lodge, and explore the Amazon rainforest.

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].
View a CNN photo gallery of scenes from Peru >>
Read about other recent COE trips >>

Design Thinking and Innovation class offered this summer

The course "Design Thinking and Innovation" (IDS 425, Section 502) will be offered during the second summer section July 8-August 9. The course will be team instructed by Tom Graves, from the Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation in the Business College, and David Matthews from the College of Architecture and Design.

Students will experience creativity, innovation, and solve real-world problems in a project-based collaborative, multidisciplinary learning environment applicable for all majors at all levels. This course provides a team-based approach to Design Thinking and innovation. Through collaborative activities that emphasize creative problem solving skills the students will learn and apply various proven techniques that can be used in their future classes and careers and complete implementable projects that explore new-idea evaluation, feasibility analysis, prototyping, and iterative thinking.

The class will meet from 9:00 a.m.-noon on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays in Room 229 of the Art and Architecture Building.

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.

Featured co-op student: Rachel Harmon

Our student this week is Rachel Harmon, pictured at right, a mechanical engineering major who accepted a co-op at Altec Industries located in Burnsville, North Carolina. Harmon described the department she worked in and what her main responsibilities were.

“I worked in the design department," she said. "My job was to design bodies for customers.”

Harmon said that one of the biggest challenges she had to overcome on this assignment involved a particular project.

"I was not given much description of what was needed, so it was difficult to get started," she said. "I learned that it is best to ask questions and completely understand the task before trying to start it. That made the project much less daunting.”

Harmon also advised, "Time management is probably the best quality to have; learning to do that is very helpful."

The most valuable benefit Harmon received during her co-op assignment was learning about designing and working in a professional environment.

"It has helped to give me a better idea of what I want to do when I get out of college as well,” she said.

Students may read more about their peers' co-op 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 [log in to unmask] or 865-974-5323.

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.

Career Services News

Attention: Seniors & Graduate Students Graduating in May 2013
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 our pleasure to work with many of you, and we 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:
*Log into MY UTK at http://www.utk.edu and search under Academic Links for the HIRE-A-VOL link
*Under Your Profile on the HIRE-A-VOL Homepage, click on View/Edit your Profile
*Click on Employment & Continued Education

On the survey page, please click on Add An Employment Reporting or View Details under Continued Education and fill out your placement information.** Please be aware that your data is confidential and will not be shared with other departments. This data is collected in an aggregate/anonymous manner and is used for purposes that include salary averages, geographic preference, benchmarking and reporting to ranking organization.

**If you have any difficulties accessing our survey, you may also e-mail your placement data to [log in to unmask]. Please include your name, e-mail address, employment status (Still seeking, Graduate School, Internship/Summer Job, Out of Job Market, Employed), Company or Grad School, Salary/Wage, Location of new job or Grad School.

Fall 2013 Important Recruiting Dates:

Career Services Kick-Off Cookout, 11:00-2:00 p.m. Thursday, August 29, outside Dunford Hall. Stop by for free hotdogs, hamburgers, veggie burgers and more! All provided by our Corporate Sponsors.

Part-Time Job Fair, 2:00-5:00 p.m. Wednesday, September 4, UC Ballroom. Looking for a part-time on-campus or off-campus job? Consider attending this event to learn more about opportunities in the area.

Engineering Career Success Week: September 16th-September 19, TBA-Watch the Career Services website at www.career.utk.edu for a list of scheduled events.

Logistics Fair (for IE and ME majors interested in operations positions), 4:00-6:00 p.m. Monday, September 23, Thompson-Boling Arena.

Fall Job Fair, 2:00-6:00 Tuesday, September 24, Thompson-Boling Arena. Open to all majors, all levels, students and alumni.

Donald Asher’s Applying for Highly Competitive Graduate Schools Presentation, 4:00-5:00 p.m. Wednesday, October 2, UC Auditorium.

Social Impact Fair, 2:00-5:00 p.m. Wednesday, October 9, UC Ballroom. Find about jobs that make the difference.

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 >>