Dean's September 2012 E-Letter
A Newsletter for Alumni and Friends | September 2012
Vandal Curiosity
"I hope everyone is as happy as I am to again be roving on Mars with a NASA spacecraft." - Matt Braley '05 - NASA Engineer
Read about the University of Idaho connection on Mars
Summer Internship Highlights
Summer internships are integral to our student’s success and help them fine tune their career goals. If you are interested in having a U-Idaho student work as a summer intern, please let us know.
Here's what some of our students had to say about their recent internships.
Dean's Message
It is great to have the students back to our various campuses as fall semester begins. While some of our students attended summer school many had internships. Besides the much needed income, our students benefited by learning first-hand what engineers do and the kinds of companies they may work for upon graduation. I recall the two summer internships at NASA that I had myself while an engineering student. Those experiences motivated me to do better in my classes and convinced me that I was in the right major. Companies get to know the students and often select new hires from their interns. Internships provide a win-win situation.
Since becoming Dean the end of April, people have been asking me about my priorities and how I plan to increase the profile of the college. While I presented my ideas during the interview process, time was spent over the summer to engage many of our faculty, staff, students, and alumni in one-on-one and group conversations. I plan to focus on three major initiatives. First is to increase collaborations with industry, alumni, and other friends of the college. Second is to provide an exceptional experience for our undergraduate students. The third is to focus and grow our research, graduate programs and outreach. During this coming year I will provide more details on these priorities.
We are planning a number of changes in the newsletter this year. For example, we will be issuing a new letter every other month rather than every month. This will allow us to provide more in-depth stories. I hope you enjoy the changes to come.
Sincerely,
Larry Stauffer
Student News
Fall 2012 in the John C. Wahl thinkTANK
The Engineering @ U-Idaho seminar series kicked off on August 27. Several local high school students and current engineering students have attended to hear an overview of each major and career options. This seminar series is designed to help students make an informed choice regarding their college major, and also to gain a better understanding and appreciation of all of our engineering disciplines.
Tutoring in the thinkTANK started up this week, focusing on science, math and engineering classes. In addition, seventeen of our second year Engineering Scholars group will be forming study sessions across campus to help first year engineering students improve their study skills and make the transition to college level academics.
Engineering Perspectives Seminar Series
Beginning in October, practicing engineers and engineering/computer science recruiters will be invited to speak with our students about their career paths and hints about how to get internships and jobs with their current companies. If you think you may be interested in coming to campus to share your experiences with our students, please apply at www.uidaho.edu/engineering-perspectives or contact Maria Pregitzer at mpregitzer@uidaho.edu.
For more information about student activities in the college, contact Maria Pregitzer
mpregitzer@uidaho.edu | (208) 885-9700
Alumni Spotlight
Todd has been with Intel for 16 years. He is currently working as a principal engineer in Sort Test Technology Development architecting Intel’s next generation test solution for microprocessors, chipsets, and other products.
Todd tries to stay involved with the College of Engineering as he feels passionate about the degrees he earned.
"The University of Idaho taught me the fundamentals of engineering, but the values instilled were to not shy away from seemingly insurmountable technical challenges. On a daily basis I use my engineering skills to work through design details. The real value to a company like Intel is delivering creative, cost-effective solutions that solve technically challenging problems."
When asked for advice for current students looking to work at a company like Intel, "It will be very likely that you will be asked to solve problems that have little to do with your educational background so be prepared to fall back on engineering fundamentals on a regular basis. Be ready to work in a fast paced work environment."
For more information about giving to the college contact Nat Reynolds
nat@uidaho.edu | (208) 885-5201
On the Road
The Dean has had a busy summer visiting with alumni and companies.
At the end of July, the College of Engineering hosted a BBQ at the McCall Outdoor Science School, a branch campus of the University in McCall, ID maintained by the College of Natural Resources. This was the first of a series of events the college will be hosting this year throughout the United States.
On September 6, the Dean met with alumni in the Portland area and on September 13 we co-hosted an event with the College of Science in Houston, TX.
We look forward to seeing our alumni in Seattle on September 27. To find out when the dean and College of Engineering representatives will be in your area, please look at the college calendar for a list of events, times and locations.