Happy Holidays!

The Penn State Engineering Ambassadors wish you and yours a happy and relaxing holiday season. We have a lot in store for you for next semester, so stay tuned!

Major Focus: Anna Rish - Computer Science

I like to say that computer science is hands-down the most unique engineering major. I never say that it is harder or easier than other engineering majors, because it is incomparable. If you want to manipulate tiny changes in voltage that only last microseconds to make awesome, indescribable stuff happen, computer science is for you. If you want to work with your hands? Maybe not so much.

The story of how I got involved in computer science is a long story – see previous blog post at http://psuengineeringambassadors.blogspot.com/2010/10/how-did-you-choose-your-major-anna-rish.html. Basically, I had no idea what I wanted to do and fate might have stepped in a little to point me in the right direction. I have always loved math (true story: I used to be a mathlete) and really wanted to pursue something similar in college. Computer science has a lot of the aspects that I like about math, like critical thinking, problem-solving using algorithms, and dependability. One of my favorite things about math is that it doesn’t change – two plus two is always four – and it’s either right or wrong, with no grey areas. Computer science is the same. Your program behaves deterministically (usually…), and it works, or it doesn’t. A lot of time it doesn’t. But if computer science is right for you, seeing it work will be worth it. I think that is basically what it comes down to – whether or not the sometimes large amount of painstaking detail-oriented work is worth it to you. It is to me.

Computer science at Penn State has two main subject areas – programming/systems and theory. Every freshman starts out by taking a four-course programming sequence that covers C++, Java, and C. Other classes that I associate with programming are things like operating systems and computer & network security. These classes aren’t focused on learning a specific language, but they do introduce various implementations of systems and often include programming projects to help build your proficiency. The second set of courses that a computer science major takes at Penn State is the theory classes. These classes include discrete math, data structures & algorithms, theory of computation, and programming language concepts. These classes focus on the mathematical basis of the field and often involve writing proofs of various theorems. These classes are essential to building your understanding of how various programming concepts work.

Another reason that I love computer science is that there are jobs available in every field imaginable. This is especially true in today’s world, where every company needs a website and storage, and every industry is starting to incorporate computers and technology. Companies like Boeing are just as interested in hiring computer science majors as they are Aerospace Engineers. The possibilities are literally endless, and they are expanding every day. I also enjoy learning about new technologies – computer science is a new field, and it is growing fast. I like this, because I know that I will not be working with the same technology for 40 years once I enter the workforce.

If there is anything else I can do to convince you that computer science is an awesome major, or if you have any questions, please feel free to email me at acr5136@psu.edu. I would love to share more information with you!

Reflection: What Co-ops and Internships REALLY Teach You (Kim Harrison - Senior - Mechanical/Nuclear Engineering)

It’s hard to believe that in a few short days, I will be finishing up my six-month co-op assignment at Pratt & Whitney in East Hartford, CT. Needless to say, it’s been a great experience in many ways and I’m looking forward to taking much of what I learned into the next chapter of my life. I had my final exit meeting with my supervisor this morning which has made me reflect back on my experiences, both at Pratt & Whitney and my other two summer internship assignments. My current supervisor has only been in the position for three weeks, so my exit meeting was more of him giving me advice as opposed to a formal performance review. I think, to date, it has been the most valuable hour I’ve spent at work in my collective 12 months of experience. It put a lot of things in perspective for me as I am about to graduate from this wonderful university and enter the “real world.”

Co-ops and internships are great. It’s a chance to “test out” an industry, location, and a job function without fully committing. It can be very fast paced, since rotations can be as short as 10 weeks. And don’t forget, the pay is typically two- to four-times what I was earning at my first minimum wage job scooping ice cream. The biggest change for me was getting used to working with people who had been at the companies for longer than I had been living. In high school and college, you’re surrounded by your peers. The typical age difference is no more than half a decade. It’s quite humbling to be surrounded by, and work with, men and women who are the best at what they do.

Here’s what I think you should really aim to take away from a co-op or internship:

1. You don’t know everything. No seriously, you barely know anything. And not everything can be found in a text book, either. Companies don’t expect you to be able to recite Bernoulli’s equation or draw the phase diagram of salt water. Those problems have been solved already. Don’t get me wrong, those skills of analysis will help you tremendously as a practicing engineer. That’s the beauty of a co-op and internship. Everything you will need to know, they will teach you. Or have someone there to help you as you stumble your way through it.

2. The most important skills to develop while on a co-op or internship are interpersonal. Admit that you don’t know everything (see #1). Seek people out for answers you can’t find in a textbook. Chances are that many of your experienced co-workers will know exactly what (or who) can help you solve a problem. You’ll hear it over and over…but networking is an essential skill for any engineer. My supervisor, who has been interviewing many people over the past few weeks, told me he doesn’t look for people with specific Unigraphics NX 6.0 experience (the number one CAD tool used in my group), rather, he looks for soft skills because he knows he can teach the technical things.

3. Appreciate your co-workers. Having an intern or a co-op from a supervisor’s standpoint is much more work than I had realized. Mentoring takes a village and it may be a few weeks before you to get on your feet. During that time, you may be making many trips to your mentor’s desk. Everyone wants to see you succeed, however, so take advantage of those willing to lend you their time. If you can, nominate them for an award…but at the very least, make sure you find away to express your appreciation (even if it’s via email).

4. Go above and beyond. Think of these experiences as a 12(+) week interview. Rather than talking about how well you work in teams, or a time you went out of your way to solve a problem…do it. Collaborate with other interns on a project outside of your technical work. Aim to make the company better in some way. College students offer a fresh perspective. You’d be surprised at how many high-up executives are interested in what you have to say. And think about it, you’re most likely going to be eating lunch with other interns anyway…why not book a conference room and be productive?

See you in January, Happy Valley.

Major Focus: Carlye Lauff - Mechanical Engineering

Hello my name is Carye Lauff and I am a junior majoring in mechanical engineering. I love mechanical engineering because it is a major that can go into any industry. You have the opportunity to work in several main areas such as design, analysis, manufacturing, material science, as well as others. I have interned for two summer, one with GE Transportation in a role in analysis and the other with Boeing dealing with design. This summer I hope to work with manufacturing in order to see which area of mechanical engineering I feel the most comfortable. When you go to the career fair almost every company in every division from healthcare, to oil and gas, to transportation, to defense, to consumer products, to even the food industries are looking to hire mechanical engineers for internships, co-ops, and full-time. It is a great way to get your foot in the door of whatever company you are interested in!

During your first two years, most of the classes you take are common across all engineering. Then you begin to take more classes in engineering mechanics dealing with static and dynamic structures as well as strengths of materials. You also take core mechanical engineering classes in topics such as thermodynamics, fluid dynamics, heat transfer, vibrations, as well as many classes in design. Each of these classes prepares you with the fundamentals to understand how all systems work. Lots of the classes are focused on group projects and group assignments because in the real-world you are always working in teams.

My two favorite professors during my two years at Penn State have been my teachers in ME 300 (thermodynamics) and ME 320 (fluid dynamics). The reason I loved these two classes was because my professors genuinely cared about me and making sure I understood the material. I was able to go to their office hours and have them explain complex topics and even give me help on finishing the homework. Their dynamic personalities in class always kept my attention and their passion for the topics made me want to learn more as well. I have heard wonderful things about the rest of the mechanical engineering professors and I look forward to having them in my last few semesters.

I urge you to consider mechanical engineering because it has opened my mind to the endless possibilities made possible through engineering! And if you have any questions related to the major please do not hesitate to contact me at cal5323@psu.edu!

Major Focus: Alec Tanida - Bioengineering

Before I came to Penn State, I was pretty set on pursuing a degree in accounting. I applied to the Smeal College of Business and was fortunately accepted. I came in the first semester of my freshman year taking economics and some other business classes. However, I found that I was not interested in the material and that I disliked all of it. For a while, I felt pretty lost and was unsure of what I wanted to do. I kept looking around for majors and what I could possibly be interested in. During my first semester, I was taking a biology and a calculus class and I found that I really enjoyed them. Upon completion of these classes I knew that I wanted something in the healthcare field but I also wanted to use math. In the past, I have also been very hands on and loved to build and create things.

A semester of searching passed and I finally came to the College of Engineering, more specifically bioengineering. After doing extensive research, I determined that it had just enough of everything I wanted in a major: design, biology and math components. As a sophomore, junior and senior, I had the opportunity to take required classes and electives like Biomedical Instrument Design, Biofluid Mechanics, Bio-Continuum Mechanics and Surface and Biological Response to Materials. All of which were challenging yet very interesting. One cool class we get to take is called Introduction to Bioengineering Research and Design. This class works closely with Mashavu (a telemedicine system, Google it to find out more information) and teams in the class focus on developing a cheap, digital medical device for primary healthcare in third world countries. Kiosks with medical devices are set up in areas with minimal doctors and this allows patients to have their vitals taken. They would be recorded and either emailed or texted to nurses or doctors (sometimes halfway around the world) for them to determine if they need proper medical assistance. My team was assigned the task to design a stethoscope that could digitally record heart and lung sounds. We designed the hardware to be rugged and reliable and also created software to filter out background noise and save the sound files. Other teams focused on making scales, spirometers, and blood pressure devices among others. The best part about this project was that our devices were actually taken to Kenya to record vitals. It felt great to help out those in need!

After being in the program for over two years now and as I am close to finishing up my degree, I realized that bioengineering has not only satisfied my immediate needs as a freshman but has also exceeded my career goals. In the Penn State bioengineering program, typically a third of the graduating students go into industry, a third go to graduate school and a third go to medical school. Within industry, I know a lot of people that work with designing knee implants and medical devices; that work to improve manufacturing processes; and even with the business side of things. There are countless employment opportunities within the biomedical industry. If you find that you are more interested in research, then graduate school and possibly medical school may be the route for you. Friends of mine in the bioengineering department take part in research that focuses in artificial heart design, nanotechnology, imaging and tissue engineering. So basically, bioengineers can do anything.

I think the best part of this major is its small size. We have only about 40-50 students in my year and I personally know most of them. I met some of my best friends from bioengineering as a result of the countless hours we spend together in class, studying and just hanging out. The small major size also gives you the opportunity to get a lot of one on one help with the professors to help learn material and to build networks.

Despite all my confusion and uncertainty freshman year, I will be happily graduating with a bioengineering degree. I have really enjoyed my time at Penn State with courses, professors and students and I wish that I didn’t have to leave. Unfortunately, I only have another two semesters to go until graduation so I am in the job hunting process but I am very optimistic about the future.

Internship Experience 3: Saul Wecht (Junior, Computer Engineering)

So let’s start at the beginning. Last summer, I was supposed to study abroad in Japan. I had my deposit sent in and my passport renewal in the mail. And then… the earthquake happened. Needless to say, the program was cancelled.

So there I was: A sophomore in March with nothing to do for the quickly approaching summer. I decided to approach Penn State’s Engineering Career Resources Office and see if there was anything they could do for me. To make a long story short, there was. After tearing apart and rebuilding my resume with me, they sent my information to a few different companies. Then, about a week later, I had an internship offer with Intel in Folsom, California.

So that was cool.

After finals week and a quick week at home to relax and pack (two things that I now know do not agree with each other), I was off to California. A few days after I landed, I was in Intel’s new employee orientation. Sound rushed? It felt rushed.

But, it was amazing. In a few short weeks I had gone from aimless student to full time Intel employee. I would say intern, but Intel doesn’t really make that distinction. One of the best parts about my internship was that I wasn’t treated like an intern. Once I joined my team, I was a full time developer just like everyone else. I attended team meetings, planned team projects, participated in team quarterly celebrations (which were awesome (and on company time)), and did pretty much everything else that anyone on the team did.

My team was responsible for Microsoft certification of Intel graphics drivers. Basically, Intel wrote software to control the graphics aspects of its computer processors and needed Microsoft’s seal of approval in order to call it a Windows certified driver. My team was responsible for executing the Microsoft-approved tests and getting that seal of approval. I specifically worked on automating that process. At the end of the day, my workload was mainly C# and aspx coding.

Possibly my favorite part of working at Intel, however, was the atmosphere. I’ve worked on countless teams in my life so far, and never (until this summer) have I been on a team where I genuinely liked every single member. Sure, I’ve had plenty of positive team experiences… but nothing quite like what I found at Intel. Each and every member of my team was friendly, knowledgeable, and supportive. And, from what I could tell, that was the case for every other team at Intel as well. Everyone was always happy, and there were no boundaries between offices. The CEO walked around in jeans and people called him Paul. The CEO of a multi-billion dollar international corporation. Paul. In jeans.

All things considered, I think you could say my summer was a success. After finding my last minute internship with this little company called Intel, I had an incredible experience where I learned a ton and met amazing people. I can only hope that I’m lucky enough to find my way back there again in the future!

Internship Experience 2: Terri Creech (Senior, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering)

Dreams Do Come True

One of the best things that Penn State encourages and assists students with is co-op and internships. These real world experiences help students figure out what the working world is like before they have even obtained a degree. As a senior in Industrial Engineer, I have done three internships (summer work experiences) and one co-op (semester work experience). I began with a summer internship after my freshman and sophomore years with General Electric (GE) Transportation in Erie, PA. My most recent experience was a spring co-op and summer internship with GE Energy in Minden, NV.

On my co-op and internship in Nevada, I had the chance to fulfill my dream of spending more than six months living out west. Minden (pictured below) is located at the base of the western Sierra Nevada Mountains, just 15 miles from Lake Tahoe, CA. The lifestyle that I had there was active, interesting, and challenging. Every day was different and dynamic. Through my experience, I learned so much about engineering, the western states, and myself. I was able to meet people from all over the country and travel to 16 states!

I spent 8 months as the West Region Services intern and worked for the region service manager who managed a team of 10 field engineers that lived throughout the west region. These field engineers travel to customer sites and are involved with the installation, update, and service of my company’s product. The customers are energy companies such as BP, Shell, ExxonMobil, and many power plants. In my job, I was able to travel to customer sites to assist the field engineers. For example, I travelled to Central California and worked at a power plant that provides electricity to 1/3 of central CA. Below is a picture of me inside of a gas turbine at the power plant; I’ll never turn a light switch on the same again!

The culture at GE Energy in Minden, NV was highly focused on an active lifestyle paired with hard work. Many of my coworkers were avid skiers, mountain bikers, hikers, rock climbers, and outdoor enthusiasts. In Nevada, I was able to ski every weekend through April and I learned how to mountain bike during the summer. The interns I worked with were from several different schools throughout the United States. I now have friends in Puerto Rico, Iowa, New York, Georgia, Nevada, and California! We took many trips together including Yosemite National Park, Crater Lake National Park, Zion National Park, and Redwood National Park (pictured below).

What is your dream? I urge you to follow your dreams. Take risks. Move someplace that makes you uncomfortable and embrace your surroundings- it may just change your life. Penn State Engineering can help you get anywhere you want to go, and do what you want to do. Develop your passions and remember that at the end of the day, no matter where you are, WE ARE… PENN STATE!

Internship Experience 1: ConocoPhillips!

This is the first of several posts where current ambassadors will tell us a little about their co-op/internship experiences.

Here's Ashley Elias (Senior, Mechanical Engineering) talking about her internship with ConocoPhillips!

This past summer I worked with ConocoPhillips at their Bayway Refinery in Linden, NJ. This was the first internship I had ever had in the Oil Industry and I loved it! Not only could I go out into the refinery to actually see what I was working on, but I got a lot of hands on experience witnessing different projects and processes in action. My title was the Mechanical Design and Reliability Intern. My group was in charge of analyzing heat exchangers, pressure vessels, and piping systems to ensure their functionality and structural integrity.

I was a little nervous at first, not knowing if I would understand all of my assignments, but with the help of other engineers in my group I was able to successfully complete all of the projects that were assigned to me during the summer.

Some of my projects included calculating the minimum required thicknesses for pressure vessels and heat exchangers. Operators would then go measure the thickness of these components and make sure they weren’t too corroded. If they were too thin, repairs or part replacements were necessary. I also worked on a really challenging piping analysis project. There was a piping system running in and out of a furnace and Operators noticed a lot of vibrations in the pipes. I was responsible for analyzing the stresses and vibrations in the pipes and designing a guide system to help support them.

Overall, I learned a lot throughout the summer and now I’m seeking a full time job in the Oil Industry!

Not only was the work very interesting, but all of the people I worked with were really helpful and welcoming. I was set up with a mentor and a buddy (a younger new hire to show me around). I also spent a lot of time with the other interns. ConocoPhillips set up apartments for all of us in the same building so that made the experience a lot of fun! I highly recommend doing an internship to anyone even if you don’t know what you want to do with your career; learning what you’re not interested in is just as valuable as learning what you are interested in!

Career Week

Just a few short weeks ago, Penn State hosted its annual Fall Career Week. This is an excellent opportunity for students of various disciplines to connect with employers from all over the country. Here is what some of the Engineering Ambassadors had to say about their experiences.

Anna Rish - Senior/Computer Science

This year at the career fair I had the unique experience of searching for an internship as a Master's Degree student. Because I am enrolled in a special 5-year Integrated Undergraduate/Graduate degree, I am technically a graduate student who has time for one more summer internship before graduation. While most companies did not treat me differently from other students, some companies have special programs aimed at both undergraduate and graduate students. I feel that some of my success at the career fair was due to my early appearance -- recruiters are still fresh (many fly in the night before and are battling fatigue throughout the day), and the booths are not too crowded yet. I was able to talk to all 5 of the companies that I was interested in (IBM, Cisco, Microsoft, Intel, and National Instruments), as well as another company called iDirect which actually pulled me into its booth to talk about my experiences as a computer science student. Out of this I was able to interview with 4/5 of the companies that were doing on-campus interviews. One company reviews resumes and then returns for interviews in October. Many companies also give applicants final decisions by the end of October -- so hopefully I'll my summer plans in order in the next few weeks!

AJ Logan - Senior/Mechanical Engineering

I had a little bit of a different career fair experience. I got to work as a recruiter for the entire day on Thursday, for the technical full time. I have signed a contract with a company, Schlumberger, and the head recruiter asked me to come along to the career fair to help out and take resumes from students and talk about the company and what I did at my internship. It was really cool, because I got to see the other side of the booth and talk to the students about my favorite topic, our company! I also got to meet 7 new Schlumberger employees who were also helping out, all of which were great people who held different positions within the company. It was interesting talking to the students as well and trying to judge whether they would fit into a position at Schlumberger, which taught me a little more about how students can do a better job of talking to recruiters. I found that excitement and personality are key. Many students were quiet or seemed shy, but they needed to be enthusiastic about what they wanted to do in life, if not then it seemed as though they didn't really want to work for us. Overall, they day was very fun and exciting and we even found some good candidates for jobs within the company.

Jacki Guillemette - Junior/Mechanical Engineering

Career week can be a very busy time with information sessions, career fair, interviews, and company dinners. This past career week, I had the opportunity to attend the HUGE career fair that Penn State offers with hundreds of companies. I got to speak with representatives from all the companies that I was interested in and ended up with 4 interviews as well as an invitation to a dinner with one of the companies and other intern applicants. Interviews can be a little intimidating but as long as you are prepared for possible questions they could ask (questions about previous group projects, problems you had to deal with, how you handle your work load, etc.) and have some confidence, you are all set! The dinner I was invited to was great too because I got to learn more about the one company in a more casual setting. In a few weeks I should find out whether I got an internship or not so I have my fingers crossed!

Megumi Woltermann - Junior/Chemical Engineering

Penn state does a great job with the career fair. For one day, I get access to over a hundred employers. I applied to over 10 internships, and I met with a lot of great companies. A lot of companies will be interviewing within the next couple of weeks, so hopefully I impressed them enough to get an interview. I got a call back from P&G to go out to dinner the same day as the career fair. They took me out to The Tavern, and I got to know some of the recruiters a little better. I will know in a couple weeks if I will get an interview. Over the years, I have had a really good experience with the career fair. The career fair has given me the opportunity to meet and learn about different companies in such a short amount of time.

2010-2011 Year in Review

Welcome back! Hope you had a great summer and are excited for another school year! Here's a little video summary of this past year...be sure to tune into our blog throughout this upcoming year to see all the fun things we've been up to! Enjoy!

Job Search- Deanna Jacoby (senior, Chemical Engineering)

A few weeks ago, I was given the opportunity to fly to Holly Springs, NC for an interview with Novartis, a pharmaceutical company. What is unique and special about this opportunity is that Novartis was interested enough in me as well as 5 other Penn State students to fly us down, all expenses paid.

This situation came about through the Penn State’s engineering career fair, held every spring and solely dedicated to recruiting world-class Penn State engineers. Students looking for full-time, internship or co-op positions are given the chance to network with over a hundred companies in hopes of landing a job. In my case, I was looking for a full-time position after graduating with my degree in Chemical Engineering this May. Job searching can be a terribly stressful ordeal in this economy, but with dedication and 4 years of Penn State behind me, I was fully confident in my ability to land a job.

The interview itself went well in my opinion: the standard questions were asked as well as a few trickier ones. (Give me a time when you really messed up and how did you get things back on track?) The roundtrip flights in a single day are also worth mentioning. I had never been on a plane before, and this was definitely not the way to start. Each flight we were scheduled to take was delayed, cancelled or missed because of maintenance issues and weather. We left at 6am, and didn’t return to State College until midnight! But, after the incredibly long day, we had another interview under our belts and we all went home with a sense of accomplishment eager to find out if we got the job.

Bottom line: When you choose your college, don’t just think about what you can gain from them in your 4 years, but also what you’ll be gaining from them in the life-long journey after you graduate. Your college should be able to give you opportunities to help you start your career after graduation.

-Deanna Jacoby

Engineering Ambassadors Seminar & Corporate Sponsor- Kimberly Harrison (senior, Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering)

Many of my fellow ambassadors have seemed to find their “niche” amongst our very talented group. Whether it is designing the website, filming/starring in the webisodes, or even crafting invites to our various social events via PowerPoint, each ambassador is leaving their mark on this new organization. One of the roles that I seem to have fallen into is serving as an “ambassador” for the ambassadors both nationally and internationally. Last month, myself and fellow ambassador Katie Kirsch had the opportunity to visit the University of Connecticut to partake in a discussion and planning meeting on expanding the Engineering Ambassadors to other universities in the Northeast. The expansion has been made possible by the generous sponsorship from the United Technologies Corporation (UTC), who has recognized that Engineering Ambassadors possess the communication and leadership skills they seek out for potential managerial positions.

Representatives from four schools (Penn State, UConn, Worcester Polytechnic, and Rennsalear Polytechnic), as well as senior leadership from UTC (including the Vice President of Engineering at Pratt & Whitney, Mr. Al Brockett) were in attendance to share best practices and establish a collaborative vision for the Engineering Ambassadors. Katie and I gave a presentation to the group on space exploration to show an example of our high school outreach model. As a result, Penn State will be hosting an Engineering Ambassadors workshop in early April for our three partner schools to help them develop presentations that they can implement to high schools throughout their respective regions. I’ve always been so passionate about the mission of the Engineering Ambassadors, and I’m absolutely thrilled to be able to play a role in this expansion. I’m looking forward to working with fellow students from different engineering programs towards the common goal of high school engineering outreach, as I’m sure our different experiences and perspectives will allow us to come up with some very new and exciting presentations.

It’s humbling to see how much this organization has grown over the last two years at Penn State. I’d like to take a moment to recognize the hard work and dedication of each and every Penn State Engineering Ambassador, who have really paved the way for an incredible cause that just continues to grow with each speaking event. Further, I’d like to recognize the contributions of members from the College of Engineering, such as Dean Renata Engel, Professor Michael Alley, and Dr. Karen Thole, who have supported the Ambassadors from the beginning and continue to provide us with new opportunities. And lastly, I would like to recognize the selfless dedication and leadership of our faculty adviser, Melissa Marshall, who has become both a friend and mentor to all involved with this organization. With the support of UTC and the newly establish partnership between UConn, WPI, and RPI, it feels like the Engineering Ambassadors will take over the world pretty soon.

Future Plans: Graduate School- Ian Davis (senior, Nuclear Engineering)

So now I will be graduating this semester, and the time has come to decide what I want the next step will be. This past summer I battled with the decision to go look for a job or to continue my education with graduate school. I have to say it wasn’t easy. Ultimately, I decided that I wanted to stay in school to get a Master’s degree, and I made this decision for a couple of reasons. For one, I was involved with undergraduate research over the summer, and it was something that I really enjoyed. I felt that I wanted to continue doing research after I graduated from Penn State. Furthermore, graduate school programs for engineering often grant assistantships to the students that they accept. This assistantship pays for tuition and also gives the student a stipend each semester. That was a huge plus! With these things in mind, I knew I was set on graduate school and I just had to figure out where I wanted to go. Already being heavily involved with the Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering Department at Penn State, that was a pretty easy decision. I know most of the professors in the department, and I have a pretty good relationship with the professors I do research for. I would very much like to continue working with them.

And so, I will be continuing my studies with Penn State in the Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering Department. More specifically, I will be conducting research with the Fuel Management and Reactor Dynamics Group. This group focuses on maximizing the efficiency of nuclear fuel, and also developing computer models to simulate a real nuclear reactor. I am very excited about what the next two years will bring, and hope to go work in the nuclear industry once I have my Master’s degree.

- Ian Davis

SWE and THON– Keri Wolfe (junior, Chemical Engineering)

One of the groups I’m most involved with here on campus is the Society of Women Engineers (SWE). SWE is a really awesome group of girls (and even some guys!) to support women in the field of engineering. And here’s the best part—SWE is a national professional organization, so even after graduation, you can still stay involved as you move into your career! The Penn State SWE chapter has about 300 members, but only about 150 active members.

SWE has lots of great networking and professional events. They sponsor and run the Engineering Career Fair each spring, host Networking Receptions multiple times throughout the year, where you can meet employers, and also organize information sessions where companies can teach you about their job opportunities!

SWE also does lots of service projects—this is a great way to volunteer while meeting more women in engineering majors and building your teamwork skills! In the past, SWE has done outreach events for high school girls, Habitat for Humanity, various presentations at STEM fairs and similar venues, and Angel Tree Gift Collection at Christmastime.

And as if that isn’t enough, SWE even has social events! SWE hosts a Semi-formal for the College of Engineering each year, along with an awards banquet, and we are represented in Homecoming, one of my personal favorite traditions at Penn State!

SWE also participates in THON, which is kind of social, but also service! If you haven’t heard about THON before, it is a 46-hour no-sitting, no-sleeping Dance Marathon that benefits the Four Diamonds Foundation at Hershey Medical Center that assists families affected by pediatric cancer. In short, THON raises money to help kids with cancer. If you live in Pennsylvania, you’ve probably seen college kids fundraising on the weekends with cans and signs that say “Help Kids Fight Cancer”—those are Penn State kids! Just to give you an idea of the magnitude of THON, it has over 15,000 volunteers and over 700 dancers each year, it’s the largest student-run philanthropy in the world, and this year we raised $9.56 million for the kids!

There are TONS of ways to get involved in THON. THON is run by committees including Hospitality, Rules and Regulations, OPPerations, Morale, Entertainment, Special Events, Supply Logistics, Finance, and more! These are awesome groups and a lot of people really enjoy getting to know their committee members throughout the year. You can join groups to fundraise for THON too—all Greek organizations participate, and there are some groups that are student clubs just for the purpose of raising money for THON. There are also lots of organizations on campus that are established clubs who participate in many things, one of which being THON (like SWE).

This year, I had the honor of representing SWE and our partner, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) as a dancer in THON. There were four dancers from our organization, and we all had a wonderful experience. It isn’t easy to dance in THON, but if you think of all of the pain that the kids with cancer face as they go through treatment, it’s really nothing to be hurting for a weekend! THON is a colorful, energetic, and loud environment, full of kids having squirt gun battles and blowing bubbles—it’s so fun to get to be a kid again for the weekend!

Organizations that participate in THON often have THON families, which means that we are directly linked with a family affected by pediatric cancer. We try to get together with this family many times throughout the year, and we send them cards and gifts too! Then, we get to hang out with them at THON as well!

As a dancer, I was paired up with a “moraler” that helped me during the weekend and kept my spirits up, and my family and friends visited me throughout the weekend. There are also tons of people in the stands watching THON at all hours of the day and night. THON’s schedule is packed with different bands performing and the Kids Talent Show where THON children can perform in front of thousands of people! There’s also Family Hour, where parents and kids can tell their own cancer stories and the effects that cancer had on their family.

At Penn State, I strongly urge you to become a part of THON—whether you join a committee, Greek life, an organization—anything! It is a way that you can really make a difference in the life of a child. THON is growing at a crazy rate, and someday, you’ll be telling your grandchildren about how YOU were a part of THON and how YOU helped raise almost $10 million to help kids with cancer!

The Career Fair- Susan Jankiewicz (junior, Industrial Engineering)

So now you’ve decided you wanted to major in engineering, what’s next? Where are you going to work after you graduate? Well it may be a little early to know that especially if you’re still a senior in high school. An internship or a co-op is a great way to see what it is like in the real world and seeing how what you are learning in school is applied in the workplace. Internships typically occur for 10-12 weeks during the summer, while co-ops may consist of one long 6 month rotation or several shorter rotations at the same company. It may seem daunting to start to research the companies that you may want to work at, but there is a much easier way to do this, by attending a Penn State Career Fair. For engineers, there are the big Career Fairs occurring once each semester, an Engineering career fair in February, and specific career fairs for most of the engineering majors.

This past February 16^th it was time once again for the career fair held in the Bryce Jordan Center, where over 300 employers were slated to attend. This number is no surprise since the Wall Street Journal reported that Penn State is the number one school employers want to recruit at. When I went to the career fair for the first time during my freshmen year, I was in awe of the size and was very nervous to talk with the professionals. I highly recommend starting to go during your freshman year since the more you talk with employers, the more comfortable you will get.

How do you successfully land an interview? It’s all about the confidence. First, you should have several copies of your resume printed on resume paper. During your freshman and sophomore years it is fine to have high school activities and side jobs, but you want to include any big team projects as soon as you can. Next, research all the companies that you want to talk to at the fair. Check out this website for the recruiters that were present for this past career fair:

https://psu-csm.symplicity.com/events/students.php?cf=scd11.

This research shows the recruiters that you really are interested in their company. For example, at this past career fair I was talking with a recruiter from Gore. He asked what I knew about Gore and I told him that I was interested in the medical devices division. He was impressed that I knew that since most people would answer with their popular product Gore Tex. Finally, it is all about the smile and the handshake. Make sure you have a firm handshake as you introduce yourself. You may find you have something in common with the recruiter. One of the recruiters that I met had graduated from the Industrial Engineering program a few years earlier and even had some of the same professors as I did. It is definitely a lot easier to talk with someone who has some kind of common ground. The next day I was asked to interview with both of these companies. With these simple steps, you will surely land some interviews, but more importantly make sure you sell yourself!

THON 2011

The Penn State's IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon (THON) raised $9,563,016.09 this past year. All money raised goes to the Four Diamonds Fund, partner of the Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital. These funds help families cover medical expenses as well as support pediatric cancer research. Stay tuned for entries from some of our Ambassadors who were on their feet for 46 straight hours this past weekend, dancing FOR THE KIDS!

Happy New Year!

The Penn State Engineering Ambassadors wish you a Happy New Year! 2011 is here to stay and we have a lot of exciting activities planned for the spring semester! We know this is an exciting time for all you High School seniors. With college admissions completed, acceptance letters will be mailed home before you know it!

We are constantly updating our website with new events, videos, information on Penn State and the College of Engineering and more. To schedule a visit with the College of Engineering, please fill out the online visit request: http://www.engr.psu.edu/ProspectiveStudents/Undergraduate/visit.aspx

You will be able to put together a full day's schedule of activities including: College info session, Visiting a department, and taking a campus tour with a few of the Ambassadors.

Interested in having some of our Ambassadors come to your High School to give Engineering presentations? Have your teacher contact us at: engineeringambassadors@psu.edu.

We look forward to meeting with you this spring semester!
Yours in Engineering,
The Penn State Engineering Ambassadors