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

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

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).



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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/.

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