Expanding Your Horizons Beyond Engineering (Teresa Giovannoli: Sophomore - Mechanical Engineering)

When I first came to Penn State, I was looking to take in all the opportunities Penn State had to offer.  However, everyone always told me you only have time for two of three things; school, sleep, or a social life.  I wanted to challenge this.  I signed up to be in EASI house, one of the engineering living options on campus.  I also decided to join a sorority.  I joined Kappa Kappa Gamma the fall of my freshman year.

I have good news for everyone; it is possible to have all three!  As a member of Engineering Ambassadors, and the President of a sorority, my biggest piece of advice I learned is time management and self-control.  I knew I wanted to join Greek life.  And, although many thought it wasn’t possible, I wanted to keep up with engineering at the same time.  The reason people say it is so difficult is because it is all about the balance.  With a sorority or fraternity, there are many meetings you have to attend, as well as keeping up with your friends in your chapter.  However, engineering is a very time intensive major.  If you don’t maintain your work, your grades can suffer and classes can become frustrating.  It takes self-control to realize what the right decision to make is.  It did take a few sleepless nights for me to find the balance, and I still slip up every once in a while.  But, It was definitely worth it for everything I’ve gotten out of college thus far!

I found being in a sorority beneficial because it gave me an opportunity to meet people outside of the engineering discipline.  It is very important to have friends in engineering to study with and work with, but it is also important to have a diverse group of friends at Penn State.  It gives you a larger network and more opportunity.  It was a very easy way to meet a close group of friends right away.  At such a large school, it is easy to feel lost freshman year.  A sorority placed me with a group of girls that are so similar to me and have become my closest friends at school.  I also thought joining a sorority was beneficial for the philanthropy and community service opportunities.  Each sorority or fraternity has their own philanthropy that they help support.  Kappa Kappa Gamma participates in Reading is Fundamental.  We collect books, and then go down town to read to local preschools and daycares.  Kappa also gave me a connection to Dance Marathon, as every sorority and fraternity participates.  All in all, I found that joining a sorority gave me opportunities to get involved in Penn State outside of engineering.  I have a chance to lead the engineering community through Engineering Ambassadors, but also contribute to Greek life, philanthropies, the State college community, and my peers outside of engineering because I joined Kappa Kappa Gamma.

Welcome to the 4th Dimension: Engineering in the Construction Industry – Abby Kreider

When I say I’m taking a class called Building Information Modeling Studio, it’s both a lot for me to say and for others who aren’t involved to understand.  I begin by explaining that BIM is something that is becoming more and more integrating in the construction industry as four-dimension modeling.  At first, people are skeptical thinking – what could I possibly mean by four-dimensional?  When, when you start the process to build a structure, it takes a lot of planning before you even break ground on the site.  In this planning, the process BIM is being implemented which is where a 3D model of the design is compared against time, introducing the fourth dimension in terms of a schedule for the project.  This is an innovative process in the industry but is making large strides in becoming more efficient and green in every construction process, saving all involved time, money, and energy.

Despite the world of academics generally being ahead of the industry curve, few schools offer any training in BIM because it requires coordination between several members of the industry for a realistic experience.  I’m here to tell you that The Penn State University not only offers training in BIM coordination but offers a 6 discipline integrated studio class.  This class combines the efforts of students in the architecture program, landscape architecture program, and the 4 options of the architectural engineering program (construction, mechanical, structural, and lighting/electrical).    This interdisciplinary studio is the only one of its’ kind in the country and has been recognized twice on a national level by the American Institute of Architects’ Technology in Practice BIM Awards Program.

I feel very honored to be one of the 5 construction management engineers involved in this process.  If I had not come to Penn State, I would not have had this amazing opportunity.  Not only am I going to be ahead of others in my field upon graduation but also I will be a strong asset to the company I work for after graduation.

Engineers take on all types of roles and this is just an example how integrated this world is truly becoming.  So put yourself out there and explore all the opportunities your university has to offer, but just remember Penn State is the only place for BIM! 

Check out more information here:

http://news.psu.edu/story/148694/2012/05/25/interdisciplinary-bim-studio-wins-national-honor

Engineering Ambassadors Take San Diego! - Lola Buonomo

ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers) invited Engineering Ambassadors to speak at the 2013 ASME International ME Education Leadership Summit. With all the demand and interest in Engineering Ambassadors, it is quickly turning into a national network. The purpose of this trip was to help ASME understand exactly what our program does and how we fulfill their aspirations to improve diversity in mechanical engineering. In order to turn Engineering Ambassadors into a true national network, we need support of the structure and scale. We gave a ten minute presentation on the program and a ten minute sample outreach presentation. We feel it is better to show not tell. So for ASME to truly understand Engineering Ambassadors we brought them back to their high school physics class for an EA presentation on robotics. We were speaking to a fairly large group comprised of Mechanical Engineering Department Heads, CEOs, and ASME officers. In the weeks of preparation leading to the event I was sure I would be nervous standing up there giving this talk. But something happened between the hours of preparation and practice runs. I finally realized I was talking about something I loved. I didn’t have to memorize facts or fake any enthusiasm. This organization is what I am passionate about and all I am doing is sharing that with others. Once I had this realization I was excited to speak in front of everyone. Getting up there and giving the presentation was just icing on the cake.

Kathleen and I embarked on this adventure together with some five star treatment as we walked on the tar mat to get to our airplane. (That’s how big our State College airport is.) Some many hours later we touched down in San Diego ready for this trip of a lifetime. Prepared only to attend meetings and give presentations of the Engineering Ambassadors program, we had no idea what we were really in store for. Everyone was so positive and interested in the organization and the work we were doing. I immediately felt our mission growing and reaching more schools across the nation. It was an extremely rewarding experience!

Aside from the presentations, Kathleen and I had the chance to spend every other waking minute outside! From finding trees to climb to beaches to play on I felt like a kid again. We walked everywhere. And I mean everywhere. Even the 3 mile walk from dinner on the USS Midway Aircraft Carrier back to our hotel with Dr. Karen Thole, Christine Haas, and many more ASME members. This was such an amazing experience and I am so lucky I got to spend it with my best friend. I’ve put together a little video montage of our trip to show just how incredible it really was. Enjoy!

Taking Over the Construction Industry: One Female Engineer At a Time - Abby Kreider

I’m sure you have all looked across the skyline of any city and seen a tower crane.  A good sign of a booming construction economy, these cranes symbolize the lifeblood of my future career as a construction engineer.  I am a senior in the Architectural Engineering major at Penn State University with a concentration in the Construction Management option and I manage construction sites like the one lying under these cranes you see on a daily basis.

In the summer after my junior year, I interned with Barton Malow Company as a Project Engineer in Richmond, VA on a emergency department renovation at the Virginia Commonwealth University’s teaching hospital. The job was a four phase project that is currently taking place while having the emergency room operational at full capacity and was essentially a logistical nightmare.  The only entrance to our site was in the same small alley way in which the ambulances brought patients to the emergency room as you can see in the picture below.

These logistical challenges, although annoying and difficult, ended up being a positive learning experience and added to the many positive take-aways that I have from this summer.   It is important to throw yourself into any and all challenges in an internship.  How many times in your life will you be able to go and work somewhere for 3 months just to gain experience?  Internships are great opportunities and I highly recommend taking advantage of any and all opportunities.  What have you got to lose?  If nothing else, you will learn that is something you didn’t want to do and you can check it off of your list!

Another important point about internship experience is forming relationships and getting involved outside of the actual internship.  While in Richmond for the summer, not only did I establish working relationships but also personal friendships as well.  Below is a picture of a Habitat for Humanity build we did with some of the other interns as well as the young professionals we worked with.  We did several group activities throughout the summer within the company but also outside.  The internship is what you make it so enjoy your summer of learning and growing!  Put yourself out there!

Metal Is Cool! (And So Is Engineering!) - Fawn Romanko

http://hintjewelry.blogspot.com

Have you ever wondered how a car engine is manufactured?  Maybe you've been curious about how your metal charm necklace was created.  Both of these are actually made very similarly using metal casting!

A great class offered to Penn State Industrial engineering students is IE 311: Principles of Solidification Processing.  This classes gives IE students the opportunity to learn about metal casting processes.  The class has a hands-on lab to facilitate learning.  You even get to pour molten metal!

           

www.cnczone.com

A cool metal casting process we learned about recently is called Lost Foam Casting.  The first step of this process is to draw your design on styrofoam and cut out the mold.  Then, you must paint the mold with ceramic paint.  This helps create a smooth surface on the mold.  The picture to the right shows a house number plaque mold.  Next, the mold is placed upright in a bucket.  The bucket is then filled with dry, loose sand.

www.pittstate.edu

Next comes the fun part -- it's time to pour the molten metal!  It is important to be properly dressed in a protective suit to ensure safety.

            

Once the metal is poured into the bucket, the styrofoam is burned out, and the metal takes on the shape of the mold.  Below is the completed house number plaque.

            

This is just one of the many metal casting processes we learn in IE 311.  As you can see, we have a lot of fun!

www.cnczone.com

	www.pittstate.edu
					www.cnczone.com
			www.cnczone.com

 

Coding for a Cure - Matt Glick

Being a Captain for the World’s Largest Student Run Philanthropy has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I am currently the Lead THINK Developer for THON 2013 and that allows me to use my coding experience and leaderships skills to help fight for a cure for pediatric cancer.

I am a Computer Engineering major here at Penn State and have been involved with THON since my freshman year. When I first came to Penn State I had no idea what THON was, but before long I was going on canning trips, sending THONvelopes and asking for online don12ations. And then when January rolled around and my organization had to choose dancers (someone who doesn’t sit or sleep for 46 hours in a testament to the Four Diamonds Children) I was honored to be chosen. I saw my first THON while walking through the human tunnel and into the Bryce Jordan Center.

After my first THON I knew I had to get involved. I applied to be Technology Captain in the spring and held the position throughout my sophomore year. I was then chosen again last spring as the Lead THINK Develeper and have since been working to develop and maintain a website called THINK (THON’s Information Network).

THON has given me a chance to combine my programming skills, my leadership skills and my push to make the world around me a better place. I am an Engineer and I have changed the life of a child.

Standing 46 Hours in the BJC for THON - Jacki Guillemette

Most Penn State students can agree that the fall semester is dedicated to football season and the spring semester is dedicated to THON. More than 15,000 PSU students participate in the 46 hour dance marathon that raises money for the Four Diamonds Fund to help the battle against pediatric cancer. Students spend a large part of the school year raising money for the cause and preparing for the highly anticipated THON weekend which occurred February 15-18 for THON 2013.

This year I had the honor of dancing in THON 2013. Dancers are the people who spend the entire 46 hours of THON on their feet without sitting or sleeping as a symbol of standing up for and taking the pain away from the children suffering from cancer so that they can have a weekend of fun and childhood. It is an extremely challenging endeavor because it is very exhausting not sleeping for so long and about halfway through the weekend, your legs and feet ache a tremendous amount. Despite the exhaustion and pain however, being able to stand for such an amazing cause is so rewarding and seeing all of the children makes everything more than worth it. It is also made a lot easier by having friends and family visit constantly and having a moraler there all of the time to help take care of you is super helpful.

Although a large part of THON is fundraising, another large part of it is being there for the families who have been affected by pediatric cancer. The organization that I danced for (American Society of Mechanical Engineers) found out a few days before THON weekend started that we got a new THON family. It was fantastic news because we now had a Four Diamonds Family that was going to attend THON and meet us and wanted to stay in touch with us. My dance partner (Jess Menold, also an Engineering Ambassador) got to meet our THON child, David, and his family on Saturday and they are such strong, amazing people. We got to spend time dancing and talking and it was so wonderful to get to know them and have them there with us.

THON 2013 total

During the final 4 hours, some families get to tell their stories and explain what THON has meant for them. After everyone gets to sit down at 4pm on Sunday, the THON total is revealed. This is positively one of the most exhilarating moments you will ever experience if you helped fundraise for THON. It’s the moment you find out just how much money PSU students were able to raise for the families to cover costs of treatments and for research to help find a cure. When the numbers are brought up and you see the number was higher than the year before, you can’t help but scream, cry, and jump with joy, no matter how much your feet hurt. This year was a record-breaking total of $12,374,034.46 which is a remarkable amount of money and a perfect ending to my last THON as a Penn State student.

What Do Engineers Do? - Sarah Krishner (Sophomore, Bioengineering)

Pintrest.  Just saying the word makes you think of crafts, clothes, recipes and animals exploding all over your computer screen.  But have you ever taken the time to look at your Pin Board and think about the design, or consider changing certain aspects to make it more user-friendly?  Tracy Chou has, and she is one of the many people behind the new verb “pinning.”

You know how there was a big deal about that thing landing on Mars a few weeks ago?  Well that “thing” is the Mars Curiosity Rover, and it’s right now being used to analyze whether or not the planet could support life. Brian Schratz and Ray Baker are a part of the team which made sure it was actually able to land.

A man was in a motorcycle crash leaving him completely paralyzed.  That is, until seven years later when he used his mind to control a robotic arm and touched the hand of his girlfriend for the first time since the crash.  This was the result of many years of research led by Dr. Michael Boninger.

What could all of these people named possibly have in common?  They are making a difference obviously, but something that may be surprising is they are all engineers.  A common misconception is that engineers sit at desks and look at numbers all day.  FALSE.  Engineers are traveling the world, founding companies, becoming doctors or lawyers, you name it.  That is what is so perfect about engineering: you can do whatever you want with it!  Save the world, create iPhone Apps, work for your favorite food company, literally whatever you want.  Whether it’s defeating diseases, taking us to other planets, or helping share our interests, engineers impact every part of our lives and are solving the world’s problems every day.   

Living Options (Kathleen Prilutski - Sophomore, Mechanical Engineering)

After I accepted my offer to Penn State, I started looking at the areas that freshmen typically live. As a wannabe engineer, I knew that I wanted to have a place that was about studying but I still wanted to have fun. I was in no way living in a completely boring place where people just studied all day. I had to avoid any boring dorms AT ALL COSTS. By looking online at Penn State’s dorms, I found that there were special living options for engineering freshmen in East, Pollock, and West Dorms.

Like Goldilocks, I “tried out” all the different living options in my head. 

In East, I could live in the Freshman Year in Science and Engineering (FISE) House and get the entire “freshman experience” and still live on a floor designated for science majors.

 

In Pollock, I could live in the EASI (Engineering Applied Science and Interest) House, a.k.a.  a cool place where people who like math and science live.

In West, I looked at the Engineering House. I could live with people of all engineering majors of all years. I was interested so I clicked more links to find out more.  There are social activities and three study lounges. Personally, I was completely sold on the social and study aspects of E-House.

I went on to live in E-House for two years! Looking back, E-House gave me some of the greatest times that I’ve ever had. From studying with some feisty engineers when I needed help to getting pushed really fast in wheeled chairs in E-House’s long hallways my friends, E-House was a fantastic place for me as I got to study when I needed to and got to go have tons of fun in my free time.

The ah-HA Moment (Matt DiNuzzo, Sophomore - Civil Engineering)

“So what do you want to be when you grow up?”

This innocent question has been thrown at me countless times growing up.  Ranging from the time in kindergarten when the grown ups flaunted their fancy uniforms and suits, all the way to the stressful junior year of high school applying to college programs. Even today I get this question asked to me by employers at career fairs (Only now staring blankly and saying “….umm” isn’t acceptable). So in a world with countless opportunities how do you discover what to do with your career and goals?

A simple way is to sit back and see what you naturally gravitate to.

As I was applying to different colleges and looking at different career paths, all of the information presented to me seemed bland and not relatable, almost as if it wasn’t real. Just another person spitting facts and numbers at me about this career or that field of study, and I really couldn’t picture myself in any of the situations.

I just knew that I was a kid that liked to analyze the world and wonder about how it works… and also watch Mythbusters in my free time.

I just loved watching Adam, Jamie, and the rest apply science to some outrageous myths that we have all heard of, and I began to think about these things when I wasn’t watching.  This ultimately sparked my interest in the engineering field, which is why I am currently majoring in civil engineering.

So when you find yourself bored on a rainy Saturday morning, take notice of what you find yourself thinking about, it could just be the answer to that ultimate question.

Is It Crazy to Take 28 Credits In A Semester? Not Really (Mingyang Zhou, Sophomore - Electrical Engineering and Engineering Science)

When I told my friends that I am going to take 26 credits for this semester, all of them just open their mouth widely and starred at me. “What? Is that even legal?” Obviously, they were shocked, because the full-time students in Penn State are only required to take 12 credits for a semester and the top limit to a regular registration is 19 credits. However, it is not that bad.

The secret to take 26 credits is just time management and some good habits.

In my time management system, there are 5 very important strategies that should be kept in mind:

1      Instead of focusing on how much work you have, focus more on how to solve every single one of them. It is hard to believe that we can run 10000m in one time, but it seems much easier to run ten 1000m one by one.

2      Doing things as early as possible and don’t push the work to the last second.

Since you will never know how much time you need to spend on each task and you don’t know if there is anything out of expectation can just jump into your task plan, it is always good to do things in advance.

3      Try to finish one task in one time. Don’t stop during the work, unless there is a big emergency. Every time you are interrupted by other things, it takes you some time to put your concentration on the work again.

4      Catch every single time that you can make use of instead of just wasting them. When you are standing in a long line and wait for a order, instead of playing your phone, why not just pull out your Zen-presentation and have a read?

5      Don’t change your plan easily. Try to finish the goals that you have set up for yourself, which will train you to be more efficient and give your more confidence.

Talk to Save the World - Mike Coia (Junior, Mechanical Engineering)

Give the best, most inspirational talk of your life in 18 minutes or less.  That’s the challenge given by TED to the speakers invited to go onstage.  People like Bill Gates, Al Gore, and other great thinkers and doers have gone on stage and told their story. Any topic you can think of has been talked about, from new batteries to playing the piano.  The message is always the same: A idea worth sharing.

Just because you weren’t invited doesn’t mean you can be a part of this, however; TED puts all of their talks online for anyone to watch.  Now, watching videos online is great, but what if you could actually attend one of these awesome conferences?

 

At Penn State, you can be a part of this amazing experience.  TEDxPSU is just one of the many things that set Penn State apart, and it is definitely one of my favorite.  It started back in the fall of 2010 and has become something I look forward to every year.  These events are free, all you need to do is go to TEDxPSU.com and register to attend, which is definitely worth it.  Just hearing to the speakers talk in such an intimate setting is something that sends chills down my spine, and I can’t wait for March 17^th!

Engineers Saved My Mom - Chad Baker (Sophomore, Mechanical Engineering)

Spinal Infusion Pump [C=Catheter P=Pump]

Screech! Crash! The sound of a cars horn in constant compression was all that was left among a crowd of speechless spectators. A negligent truck driver on a cell phone moving at 30mph collided with a car stopped at a red light…

It just so happens, the individual wedged between the cars horn and their seat was my mother.  It wasn’t long before emergency response teams arrived, however, upon arrival they were faced with a delicate situation. The force of the accident left my mom unconscious with a back broken in several places. Luckily, the professionals were able to remove her from the vehicle and transport her to a hospital where she would remain for the majority of the next year.

This accident turned my family’s life upside down. I was only 5 at the time, but I remember whenever I saw her, her eyes where saturated in tears and my brother and I were not allowed to hug her due to the pain she was in.

After about a year of her being constantly rotated in and out of the hospital for more surgeries and different types of body casts to help her heal, it became clear that nothing was working.

Two years after the accident, relief descended on our family in the form of a device known as a spinal infusion pump. This pump was installed inside her and it contained medication that was distributed via a catheter directly to her spinal column for maximum pain relief.

Once this device was implemented, it was a matter of time until she was out of the wheel chair and basically back to living a normal life. It is important to understand, engineers don’t just design planes train and automobiles. Bioengineers designed the device that virtually saved my mom’s life.

Six principles (“SUCCES”) that can be used to help your ideas “stick” in a job interview - Katey Talbot (Senior, Mechanical Engineering)

Sticky ideas won’t always have all six, but the more, the merrier.

Simple: A single, clear mission.

This is where it is crucial to think about the audience you are talking to.  Think about the level of detail your interviewer will know about when discussing a technical topic.

Unexpected: A man on the moon? It seemed like science fiction at the time.

Interviewers are looking for students who stand out.  Using unique examples from unexpected courses, clubs, leadership experience, and past internships are great ways to break free from the usual overcoming the “tough coursework” example. Interviews are about standing out next to your peers!

Concrete: Clearly defined examples

It is always good to think about situations where you have shown team work, communication, your strengths, your weaknesses, and overcoming a challenging obstacle BEFORE going into an interview.

Credible: Vivid examples, confidence in speaking, and authentic

Gain credibility by telling your story with confidence.  Own it. If you have done any type of work with a professor, company, leadership organization, be sure to mention this in your examples.

Emotional: BE PASSIONATE

They are looking for innovative leaders who are passionate about what they do. Don’t be afraid to show your aspirations and pioneering instincts in an interview. Show them you really want the job!

Story: “Situation Task Action Result”

A lot of interviews are set up with the “STAR” format because they want to hear a beginning middle and end to your “story.”

Be sure to check out more ways to make your ideas stick in the book, Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die, by Chip and Dan Heath.  These “sticky” ideas can be applied to much more than nailing a job interview, definitely a worth-while read!

Heath, Chip, and Dan Heath. Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die. New York: Random House, 2007. Print.