Thursday, November 27

Happy Thanksgiving!


To all of you in the US, Happy Thanksgiving today! And to those of you outside the US, Happy Thursday!


Wednesday, November 5

2008 ASME ECLIPSE Interns

My, oh my, where has the time flown? It’s November, which means the ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress & Exposition has arrived. If you haven’t met them yet, I wanted to introduce you to this year’s bumper crop of ASME ECLIPSE Interns. They are a phenomenal bunch, as always, and come from all over. Shane McGoldrick is the ECLIPSE intern for Strategic Management, and hails from Dunedin, FL. Annmarie Connor is the ECLIPSE intern for the Board of Governors, and is from Orlando, FL. Jenn Dandrea-Spadafora is serving on the Center for Leadership and Diversity Board, and she lives in Seattle, Washington. The Knowledge & Community (K&C) Global Communities ECLIPSE intern is Hieu Nguyen from the Houston, TX metropolis. Garrett Herning is the ECLIPSE intern for the Institutes sector, working on EMCI, and lives in Sussex, WI, right outside Milwaukee. And finally, the sixth member of the 2008 group is Michael Moore, the K&C Programs and Activities ECLIPSE intern.

If you’re interested in serving ASME at the international level, or want to find out what really goes in a specific board or sector, I highly encourage you to apply to be an ECLIPSE intern. This year’s applications are due January 15th, and the application can be found on ASME’s website: (http://www.asme.org/Governance/Volunteer/Early_Career_Leadership.cfm). If you’ve got questions about the program, feel free to contact the co-directors of the ECLIPSE program, Larry Dickinson and Karma Snyder.




L to R: Michael Moore, Shane McGolderick, Annmarie Connor, Jenn Dandrea-Spadafora, Hieu Nguyen, Garrett Herning

Friday, October 31

EYE in Germany

Cathedral (or Dom, as the locals call it) in Koln



As I sit on yet another airplane this week, I’ve got a few moments to reflect on last week’s trip to attend the European Young Engineers (EYE) Conference in Dusseldorf, Germany. In ASME’s effort to reach out and collaborate with engineers and engineering societies worldwide, two other ASME-ers, Tom Perry and Eduardo Barrientos, and I crossed the Atlantic to see what our brethren in Europe are doing. There we met an incredible group of people, who were extremely gracious in showing us North and South Americans some German and European hospitality and culture.

The EYE conference is a biannual event, held in May and October, with the conferences held in various member countries. For more information on EYE, see their website: (http://www.e-y-e.eu/). The conference is a two-and-a-half-day event, which began on Friday with tours and a gala, followed with a keynote panel and workshop on Saturday, a dinner cruise on Saturday evening, and the EYE Council meeting and closing session on Sunday. The conference drew attendees from all over Europe, and had the sponsorship support of local and multinational companies.

So what did I take away from this? A reinforcement of how crucial social and networking events are at early career functions and events. How many times does our enjoyment of something stem from the interactions with other people? For me, it is just as important for me to connect with other people in peer and build relationships as it is to learn a new technical skill or improve my business acumen. I also came away somewhat in awe of what a fantastic job EYE does at securing sponsorships and corporate support. The cost of the conference was highly subsidized, and the bang for your buck was phenomenal – I mean really, a dinner cruise on the Rhein River complete with DJ and bar at no added charge? What’s to complain about that – almost nothing (the almost comes from the fact that I heard many of the attendees lamenting that 1 am was too early for the cruise to end). Finally, Eduardo, Tom and I made some incredible new friends, and opened the door for future collaborations between ASME and EYE. Who knows, maybe in the future we’ll see some joint conferences, webcasts, or other events with our peers across the “pond.”



Jeroen Van Liempd (ASME Brussels Office), Eduardo Barrientos, Jen Jewers, Bertrand Mbiaffie (ASME Brussels Office), and Tom Perry


Eduardo, Jen, and some of our new friends



Proof that Tom hit the dance floor

Tuesday, March 11

LTC Recap

So I got back from the ASME Leadership Training Conference in Atlanta Sunday evening after three hours of sleep on Saturday night, a delayed flight out of Atlanta causing me to miss my original connection flight from Chicago, and then a delayed later flight out of Chicago. But I finally made it home safe and sound. But enough about me.


I had a wonderful time seeing old friends and meeting new friends at the ASME LTC. There were fifteen early career engineers (ECEs) in attendance who submitted essays and were chosen as LTC Early Career Delegates, as well as numerous other ECEs who were representatives from their sections, divisions, etc. Then, there were students from around the globe representing student sections and districts as the Student District Operating Boards had training sessions. All in all, there was quite a contingent of ASME volunteers under the age of 35.


Thanks to the LTC Committee for the fabulous job they did on the conference! If anyone is interested in helping out next year, they are always looking for additional committee members. For more information on volunteering or information on this year's LTC, see the website: http://www.asmeconferences.org/ltc08/

Pics from the LTC:
Jenn Dandrea Spadafora, Ed Buchanan, and Elizabeth Schwartz


Jessica Sanfilippo and Mandy Brogdon

A dinner for SDOB Participants

Monday, March 10

ASME's New Face of Engineering for 2008

So I finally met face-to-face Annmarie Connor, the ASME New Face of Engineering for 2008, this past weekend at the ASME Leadership Training Conference in Atlanta, GA. We've been working on a project team together for months now, but hadn't officially met yet. And I must say, she's as awesome in person as she is on the phone and in paper. For those of you who haven't met Annmarie yet, or see the article on her, below is the news release that's currently posted in Late-Breaking News for ASME (http://www.asmenews.org/latebrk/latebrk.html).



-------------------------------------------------------

Annmarie Connor has been selected to represent ASME as its New Face of Engineering for 2008. Connor, an ASME member from Orlando, Fla., was one of 14 early career engineers nominated by the various engineering associations for the New Faces of Engineering program, which highlights the interesting and important work of young engineers and the resulting impact on society.

Each year, the National Engineers Week Foundation, a coalition of engineering societies, major corporations and government agencies, asks its members to nominate colleagues 30 years old and younger who have shown outstanding abilities and leadership. The names of the honorees then selected by the foundation are announced during Engineers Week.

As a mechanical design engineer in the Launch Site Design Engineering directorate at United Space Alliance at the Kennedy Space Center, Connor supports design efforts for the Space Shuttle's Orbiter and External Tank Ground Support Equipment. Connor, 28, is also the system design engineer for Orbiter Access and Multi-Use Ground Handling Equipment. In that role, she will lead and organize design projects which include cost estimates, researching and selecting equipment and materials, preparing engineering analyses and drawings, and certifying modifications and new designs. Previously at United Space Alliance, Connor was a reliability engineer responsible for guaranteeing a safer Space Shuttle mission by performing criticality assessments and failure modes and effects analyses to identify risk to personnel, damage to flight hardware, and loss of life for the Space Shuttle program.

For Connor's full New Face of Engineering bio, visit www.eweek.org/site/Engineers/newfaces2008/first_tier_bios.shtml#Connor.

To read about the other New Faces of Engineering for 2008, visit www.eweek.org/site/Engineers/newfaces2008/index.shtml.For more about Engineers Week, visit http://www.eweek.org/.

Tuesday, February 19

2008 ASME Annual Meeting

The 2008 ASME Annual Meeting is this June at the Wonderful World of Disney in Orlando, FL, or more specifically, the Disney Swan and Dolphin Hotel. The fun happens from June 7-11, 2008, and includes some fun activities, including a charity golf tournament on Disney's Palm Golf Course and a charity 5k Run/Walk through the Disney Resort area. For information on the overall conference, check out the website: http://www.asmeconferences.org/annualmeeting08/index.cfm.

I'll post more info later with regard to sessions and events that may be of particular interest to early career engineers.

ASME Cmte on Student Development Volunteer Opp

Here's a volunteer opportunity from Kalan:

The Committee on Student Development (CSD) is seeking to fill several member-at-large positions. The positions will begin at the 2008 Annual Meeting, June 6-10 in Orlando, FL and continue until the 2009 Annual Meeting. The CSD is under the Center for Professional Development, Practice, and Ethics, and its missions are as follows:
-To promote and enhance the education and professional development of engineering and engineering technology students through advancement of student section programs, activities, and competitions.
-To develop and recommend innovative programs for serving and retaining student members as active and productive members of the Society and the profession.

To apply for one of the open positions, please submit your resume including ASME national and local experience along with a short statement about what you would like to accomplish over the next year as a CSD member. Applications are due March 3rd, and should be emailed to me at guileyk@asme.org. Please feel free to contact me with any questions.

Kalan Guiley
Chair, ASME Committee on Student Development

Monday, January 21

More ASME ECE Volunteer Opportunities

It seems like every month, there are new opportunities for early career engineers to volunteer with ASME, and this month is no exception. Below are some great opportunities for ECEs that may be of interest to you.


ASME ECLIPSE Program
The ASME ECLIPSE program, which stands for Early Career Leadership Intern Program to Serve Engineering, is accepting applications (if selected, you would attend the 2008 Annual Meeting, 2008 IMECE, and 2009 Annual Meeting). This is a fabulous opportunity to see and experience ASME on the national stage. The web should now accept ECLIPSE applications through Sunday, January 27th. These applications are for a one year leadership internship that starts at the 2008 Annual Meeting. Applicants should be ASME members 3-10 years past graduation. More info and an online application can be found at:
http://www.asme.org/Governance/Volunteer/Early_Career_Leadership.cfm (application link in upper left of this webpage).

If there are web upload problems, or if anyone would like to have greater control over the appearance of their application, they can simply mirror the information/sections in the online form, and include the required attachments all in one MS Word or PDF file. Those files/applications should be emailed to: Marina Stenos, stenosm@asme.org, the staff contact point for ECLIPSE.

In addition to Marina, also feel free to contact Larry Dickinson (dickinsonl@asme.org) or Karma Snyder (Karma.K.Snyder@nasa.gov), co-chairs for the Committee on Internship Programs.


LEADERSHIP TRAINING CONFERENCE ECE DELEGATES
This year’s ASME Leadership Training Conference (LTC) will be March 6-9 in Atlanta , GA. The LTC aims to supply ASME leaders with a chance to share best practices and form partnerships with other units, and to focus on critical issues important to the Society’s success. Since the LTC’s inception, a number of funded Early Career Delegate positions have been offered each year. This is a great opportunity to learn more of what ASME offers, and a wonderful chance to network with ASME leaders and other ASME early career engineer volunteers. If you’re interested, applications are due January 19th, and more information on the application is here: http://www.asme.org/Communities/EarlyCareer/Leadership_Training.cfm. More information about the LTC is on the LTC website: http://www.asmeconferences.org/ltc08/.

(Note: The deadline has passed, but they will accept applications until all available slots have been filled.)


STUDENT LIAISONS PILOT PROGRAM
The Knowledge & Community and Centers Sectors are looking for candidates to participate in a Student Liaisons pilot program. The purpose of this program is to develop a group of enthusiastic members who are in the early stages of their careers who would be interested in working with student sections within that member’s local geographic area.

The student liaison will visit the student section(s) at least once a year and speak about ASME and their career. Relating how ASME helped prepare them for the transition to the workplace and has aided in their professional development, the student liaison will reinforce ASME as an important career resource following graduation. In addition, the liaison will serve as a connection to ASME and provide the student section members with updates on current student programs and activities by working closely with the local section.

For this program we’re looking for early career engineers working in industry, 2 to 5 years post graduation, living in close proximity to a college or university (60 mile radius), and who are dynamic and exciting speakers to become involved as a Student Liaison for ASME. No ASME volunteer leadership experience is required, however, it would be an asset. Candidates must be current ASME members. Having a demonstrated history of public speaking is also considered as plus.

If you would like to nominate yourself or a candidate, please submit their resume along with answers to the questions below to: Thomas Wendt at wendtt@asme.org. Please put “ASME Student Liaison Application” in the subject line.

Selected candidates will be notified by January 25, and invited to attend a training seminar to be held at the University of Nevada, Reno, on February 22 to 24, 2008. The training seminar will provide all of the essentials they will need as a student liaison to effectively perform their role.

Please provide short answers to the following questions and submit with your resume:

1) Please describe your volunteer, leadership, and communication activities and experience. These can include ASME, other associations, civic and social groups.
2) Are you familiar with any of the universities in your area?
3) Will you be able to take time off from work to visit a university during day? (Some student sections hold their meetings during work hours.)
4) Please describe what you hope to gain by participating in this program.
5) Please describe any additional information that you would like the selection committee to consider while reviewing your application.
Well, I can't figure out how to delete posts, but I did figure out how to post the slideshow at the top of the page instead of embedded in a post. I've definitely learned something new (or two or three things) today. Hope you all enjoy the slideshow. If you've got pictures from ASME 2007 events or later that you want included, let me know and I'd be happy to add them.