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"One has to watch out for engineers - they begin with the sewing machine and end up with the atomic bomb." -Marcel Pagnol


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July 2003 News

Last updated 07/14/2003

Articles


ASME PGH Announces 2003-2004 Officers

The ASME Pittsburgh Section is proud to announce the incoming officers for the July 2003-June 2004 Session. Congratulations to all!

Chair - Jeffrey Vipperman, Ph.D
Vice Chair - Douglas Koebler
Secretary - Lori Rankin
Treasurer - William Spohn

A special thanks to those officers who served during the 2002-2003 Session.

For more information on the Executive Committee click here.

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ASME Banquet and Joint Meeting w/ANS Well Attended

This year's Annual Awards Banquet was held on May 22 as a joint meeting with the American Nuclear Society. Many people were in attendance at Dave & Busters on the Waterfront, enjoying a wonderful meal, and also listening to a great presentation given on Homeland Security by Engineer Of The Year recipient Ken Balkey. The evening was also a special opportunity to honor those who have served the Mechanical Engineering community of Pittsburgh with distinction. Awards were presented to the Engineer of the Year, Industry of the Year, Future Cities, Science, and Student Award winners. Special guests in attendance were Thomas Wendt, the ASME Region V Director, and Leighton Orr. Special thanks to our colleagues at the ANS for this joint event.

ENGINEER OF THE YEAR - Kenneth Balkey, PE

INDUSTRY OF THE YEAR - First Energy Corporation

FUTURE CITIES - James Dotson, Sean Iannucci, and Jason Mirra

STUDENT AWARDS - Christopher R. Antimary and Chung Hwan "Jose" Lee (Carnegie Mellon University), Lee Foltz and John Chrobak (Geneva College) Carl Staply and Drew Werner (University of Pittsburgh)

SCIENCE AWARDS - Mark Gordon and Jonathan Sacco

Congratulations to the Winners!

Couldn't make it? View the Program here. Special thanks to our incoming Chair Jeff Vipperman for providing a few pictures of the event.

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Would You Like To Be A Pittsburgh Section Sponsor?

If you sponsor ASME Pittsburgh, we will feature your company's products and services in our newsletter and capture the attention of 1500+ members to inform them of your company, or on this site and be on the WWW. For more information click here or contact anyone on the Executive Committee.

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May Newsletter

Read the latest ASME Pittsburgh Newsletter here (.pdf format - may take some time to load - please be patient)

This month's featured articles include:

*ASME Awards Banquet and Joint Meeting w/ANS
*Engineering Day
*Minority Leadership Internship Program
*Board on Minorities and Women Award
*MSRC Researchers Receive Achilles Award
*Resume Board Alert
*Your E-Mail Address - The Key to ASME

Download Adobe's free Acrobat Reader to view PDF files.


**The monthly Newsletter is posted here in advance of the mailed copy, and is published from September thru November and January thru May**

**The next Newsletter will be in September**

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Your E-Mail Address - The Key to ASME International

Did you know that your e-mail address is the key to what's happening at ASME? By providing us with your current e-mail address, you can learn about events taking place in your local section, such as professional development courses, industry tours, section meetings, lectures, networking opportunities, and technical conferences.

Updating your e-mail address online only takes a few minutes. To access your membership information, go to www.asme.org. Click on the "Members Only" tab to log onto this site. Be sure to have your member number on hand. After logging on to Members Only, select the "Change of Address and Information" link, located on the upper right-hand side of your screen. From this screen, you will be able to update your primary contact information.

So don't miss out on all that ASME has to offer! If you have any questions about your membership information, contact InfoCentral at infocentral@asme.org.

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Notices

Memorial Contributions

As many of you know, Anita Aggarwal, wife of our Region V Vice President Mahesh Aggarwal, passed away on May 6. The following is offered as information for any individuals or Sections who wish to make a memorial contribution.

Mahesh's wish is for memorial contributions to be made on Anita's behalf to the Regional Cancer Center Foundation of Erie (NOT the American Cancer Society) at:

RegionalCancer Center Foundation
2500 West 12th Street
Erie, PA 16505
(814) 838-9000

Our deepest sympathies and thought to Mahesh and family.

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In the News

Geneva College Students Make Big Splash in Solar Splash

Cyclone, a canoe-shaped electrically propelled vessel, was Geneva's entry in Solar Splash. This is an international intercollegiate competition involving 27 colleges and universities held this year on June 18 - 22 in Buffalo, New York. Engineering students Josh Gossner, Lee Foltz, and Philip Breneman, designed this year's solar watercraft under the direction of Professor David Shaw. Cyclone's performance took third place overall in the international contest!

For more information and photos, click here. For more complete info, see the Solar Splash page.

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Upcoming Meetings

The next Executive Committee meeting will be on Wednesday, July 30, 2003 at 6:30 PM at Marilyn Reeder's home. If you wish to attend, please contact Jeff Vipperman at 412-624-1643 or any member of the Executive Committee.

 

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Business Calendar

The Pittsburgh Business Calendar publishes a calendar of events for the Pittsburgh business community. Click on the link for the full calendar of events. (http://www.businesscalendar.org/)

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The Value of Your Membership Just Increased!!

Take advantage of the New Discounted Dues Structure. If you have earned a baccalaureate degree or an advanced degree and have been out of school 4 years or less you can can save up to 60% on Member Dues. Check out the current member dues rates available at http://www.asme.org/member/info.html.

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ASME International News

The Online Newspaper of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers
http://www.asmenews.org/

Mechanical Engineering - the magazine of the ASME
http://www.memagazine.org/

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64th Pittsburgh Regional Science & Engineering Fair

Pittsburgh's Regional Science and Engineering Fair Competition was held on Friday, April 4, 2003 at Heinz Field. Approximately 670 individuals from grades 6-12 participated in this year's event.

ASME Pittsburgh sponsored two awards this year. The Junior/Intermediate winner was Jonathan Sacco of Baden. Jonathan is in 6th grade at State Street Elementary in the Ambridge Area School District. Jonathan's project, "Is It Better or Is It Worse?", involved testing ball bearings in a skateboard for quality vs. price. His teacher is Mrs. Dawn Finnegan.

The Senior winner was Mark Gordon. Mark is a senior at Seton-La Salle High School. Mark's project, "What? You Built A Jet Engine?", consisted of building a jet engine. His teacher is Mr. Del Patterson.

Special thanks to Darrell Rapp, Doug Koebler, Lori Rankin, Carlo Grassucci, Lew Shuster, Charles C. Hwang and Jorge Pacheco for volunteering to judge. We appreciate the efforts of the section members to get involved.

Jonathan and Mark will be attending the ASME Annual Banquet in May to receive certificates honoring their efforts.

All of the students deserve a round of applause for their tremendous efforts. Congratulations to our winners!


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Rocky Economy Means Job-Seekers Need to Use Savvy Search Methods

Marilyn Borysek, ASME Member Services

(Reprinted with permission from the author)

The number of US. job opportunities edged up slightly in December following significant declines that began in March 2001, according to the US. Department of Labor.  A survey of 16,000 firms from staffing provider Manpower shows that only 16 percent of employers plan to hire in the first quarter of 2002, a dramatic drop from the 27 percent of employers who said they planned to hire during the same period last year.

Especially stunned are many technology professionals who have enjoyed a robust employment environment for the last five years but now are facing layoffs or have already lost their jobs.  So, what can job seekers in the mechanical engineering field expect?  Despite the bleak outlook, some bright spots exist for engineers.

According to The Wall Street Journal, employment experts see opportunities in the healthcare, biotechnology and technology sectors for certain engineering positions. Specialized technology workers such as software application engineers or systems analysts are most likely to see demand.

But, even the best-qualified senior mechanical engineers and seasoned executives will stumble if they land in a tough job, market with poor job-hunting skills. With layoffs spreading through almost every industry, mechanical engineers will have to work smarter and a little harder to land their next jobs.

Be Persistent: Some degree of pushiness is essential with all of your contacts. A good resume and solid skills aren't enough. Timing has a lot to do with it, so create your own luck by staying on the mind of your potential employers. Check in regularly, and send thank you notes.

Consider Alternative Employment: Offering your engineering services as an outside contractor, temp or volunteer can get you out there to show off your talent – and be on hand when a full-time opportunity becomes available.

If ASME's jobs Database helps you find a job, or if you have successful job hunting tips you want to share, contact Marilyn Borysek at borysekm@asme.org.

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Articles of Interest

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Pittsburgh Section Members Receive Prestigious ASME
International Awards

Allen Selz and Kenneth R. Balkey, both members of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Pittsburgh Section, have received awards from ASME International during the ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress this past November in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Dr. Selz was selected to receive the J. Hall Taylor Medal award for outstanding contributions to the development of ASME's Pressure Technology Codes and Standards and promoting public safety in all activities on the Society's Boiler and Pressure Vessel Committees. Read his Bio here.

Mr. Balkey was selected to receive the Bernard F. Langer Nuclear Codes and Standards Award for distinguished contribution, leadership and professionalism in advancing nuclear codes and standards worldwide, and for pioneering efforts in developing criteria for risk technologies in design, testing, and inspection or components in nuclear power plants and facilities. Read his Bio here.

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Recognizing our Fellow Members

The Fellow Grade is the highest elected grade of membership within ASME, the attainment of which recognizes exceptional engineering achievements and contributions to the engineering profession.

 Did you know there are 53 members in our Section who are Fellows? If you know any of them, please congratulate them on their achievement!

 Adnan Akay, Harvey Allen, Cristina Amon, Edmund Appleby, John Barsom, Donald Burnham, Jonathan Cagan, Norman Chigier, Minking Chyu, Ronald Coffield, Maria Comninou, Arthur Croll, Ellison Davison, James Di Perna, David Dietrich, W. Doty, L. Ike Ezekoye, Martin Falk, Jerry Griffin, Donald Griffin, Gus Holabeck, Charles Jones, Wilbur Kennicott, William Lankford, Jack Maurer, Bertram Milleville, Jack Moore, William O’Donnell, Leighton Orr, Fletcher Osterle, Sam Palusamy, William Purcell, David Purdy, Arthur Rathbun, Stephen Roth, Wilfred Rouleau, Sunil Saigal, George Saxon Sr.,Stanley Schaffer, Allen Selz, Patrick Smolinski, Alfred Snow, Paul Steif, Theodore Stern, Remco Waszink, John Wesner, Jonathan Wickert, Donald Wiebe, Bernard Winer, Savio Woo, Tse Chien Woo, Shi-Chune Yao, Campbell Yates.

 If you would like to know what it takes to become a Fellow grade member, visit http://www.asme.org/member/fellow/index.html.

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Voices of Innovation

A new daily public radio program, "Voices of Innovation," launched by the American Association of Engineering Societies with generous support from ASME, features some 200 engineers in 2-minute programs that explore and celebrate the world of engineering. The program began airing in April 2002. To be considered for one of the programs, engineers need to submit a story idea form, which is available at www.voicesofinnovation.org.

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E-Mentoring Program to Expand to Young Engineers

The success of last year's program and the enthusiastic response of members wanting to become mentors has fueled the expansion of the e-Mentoring program. This program for student members is expanding to include mentoring services for engineers who have recently (5 years or less) graduated from engineering school. Young engineers can now benefit from the career advice of more seasoned engineers in their particular field of interest. Recent graduates may get even more benefit from a mentoring relationship, since they have some experience and may have more specific career questions.

How does the program work? Students and young engineers (mentees) seeking a mentor choose from a database of names, which gives information about the mentor's background, experience and engineering specialty. Mentees are then asked to fill out an online application indicating their top three choices for mentors. The mentor requests are evaluated by ASME and matched on a first come, first served basis. Only members are eligible to participate in this program as a mentor or mentee. Anyone wishing to find a mentor or to volunteer to become a mentor for a student or young engineer member should visit the website at www.asme.org/ementoring. Volunteers can choose to mentor a student, a young engineer or both.

Questions about the program should be addressed to Deidra Hackley, at hackleyd@asme.org.

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Member Get a Member

2002-2003 Member-Get-A-Member Campaign - Invest in the Future of Mechanical Engineering!

Your participation has so far generated over $9000 in scholarship money to support the education of ASME student members. Since June, you have also introduced 193 new members to ASME International, where they will benefit from professional development and personal growth.

Your continued support of the Member-Get-A-Member Campaign is important to its success and we appreciate your time and dedication. Personally inviting a friend or colleague is straightforward and simple. When you recruit a new member, 50% of the first year's dues will be spent on scholarships for ME students.

For complete program details including a downloadable membership application, log onto http://www.asme.org/membershipdrive

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Nominations Needed for Young Engineers Award

ASME International wants to give $5,000 plus a prepaid life membership to a young ASME member that has done an outstanding job in their profession, community, and the work of ASME. If you know someone who deserves to win this award, please nominate a young engineer for the Old Guard Young Engineers Award today!

For more information, visit http://www.asme.org/cma/og/youngengineer.html .

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Professional Development

ASME PE & FE Review

ASME offers an array of convenient resources you can use to prepare for the Fall 2003 PE and FE exams including:

*Online review courses (instructor-led or at your convenience)
*Interactive self-study programs for your PC, DVD, PDA, VHS, or online.

Registration deadlines:
Instructor-assisted FE online review: July 28, 2003
PE online live: July 22, 2003

To download a demo, or for complete details on any PE or FE resource, visit http://www.asme.org/education/disted/examprep.htm


Please continue responding to the online survey at http://www.asme.org/sections/pgh/pdsurvey.html. Future topics will be selected based on member input.

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Public Affairs

 

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Updates

Section E-mail List Moved

The Section E-mail list has been moved from Listbot to YahooGroups. The Listbot service is no longer available.

If you'd like to receive timely news from ASME International, job opportunities, events, etc., consider joining the Section e-mail list (simply send an e-mail to asmepghnews-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. Instructions are also on http://www.asme.org/sections/pgh/joinlist.html)?

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* SECTION *
CALENDAR

July 30, 2003:
Executive Committee Meeting


Did You Remember To...

Renew your membership?

Add your program ideas for next year? Send them to Jeff Vipperman.

Consider getting involved with any of our activities? There are many ways, such as Industry Relations, Engineer's Week, Science Fair, Awards Banquet, web site, discussion list. Contact Jeff Vipperman .

Consider signing up to be an e-Mentor?

Make sure that your contact information is up to date? We will increasingly use electronic means to contact our members so please be sure your e-mail and fax numbers are accurate.

Set up your e-mail alias? You can have a yourname@asme.org address that you can conveniently manage yourself. People will always be able to locate you, regardless of your work situation.

Download your ASME screensaver?

Show your interest in a Professional Development course by taking the survey?

Think about articles, tips, brain teasers, news, how-to's, etc. you can contribute to our newsletter?

Consider joining the Section e-mail list?

Consider getting involved with the Executive Committee? You can get involved in any capacity. If you can contribute only one hour a week, we would be grateful for your time. Contact anyone in the committee.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Sponsors:
ALGOR

JUDITH A. FRIEDEL, MBA, MSCE, BSME, PE CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER ™
ALLEGHENY INVESTMENTS


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