Category Archives: Engineering
$1.5M study to explore human-centered engineering instruction | The University Record – The University Record
Does the way educators talk about engineering influence who chooses to enter the field? A University of Michigan research team is asking that question in a $1.5 million project funded by the National Science Foundation.
It aims to examine how engineering is taught, and how a greater focus on human and social aspects in engineering education could support more diverse engagement in the field and ultimately lead to better engineering solutions.
Shanna Daly, associate professor of mechanical engineering and the principal investigator on the project, said the engineering fields traditionally tight focus on math and technical information may discourage engineers from considering how the solutions they design will affect people, or how they might harm the planet, for example.
Engineers have a lot of power, but that power can cause damage if its not used carefully, Daly said. We see that in a lot of ways, like planes that crash because engineers didnt think enough about the training of pilots and social media platforms that work well for their creators but harm many of their users.
Daly said this isnt the fault of individual engineers but of a system that teaches engineers they can solve problems without recognizing the cultures and contexts in which those solutions will be used. She says this narrow representation of engineering also tends to shut out women, minorities and marginalized populations who want to solve big problems but dont see themselves fitting into a field focused solely on technical information and math.
The team plans to work toward changing that system by examining how engineering is taught, and how those teachings influence undergraduate students ideas of what engineering is and the kinds of problems they can solve as engineers. Theyll do that over the next three years with an extensive series of undergraduate student and instructor interviews, classroom observations and surveys. The study will compare how engineering is taught in U-Ms industrial and operations engineering and mechanical engineering departments.
Joi-Lynn Mondisa, assistant professor of industrial and operations engineering and a co-principal investigator on the project, said the focus on two distinct departments will provide useful contrast by showing how different teaching techniques can lead to different ideas about engineering.
I think mechanical engineering students have a very strong identity and very specific ideas about where they fit, but with industrial operations and engineering students, its a little more open-ended, she said. So I think it will be very useful to explore why that is examining how students receive messages in both fields, and how that affects the way they identify as an engineer.
Ultimately, the team plans to develop specific techniques for how to work a more broad, inclusive view of engineering into existing curricula at U-M and elsewhere. Erika Mosyjowski, a research fellow in mechanical engineering and a researcher on the project, said its a matter of integrating a broader set of skills into the core of engineering teaching, rather than treating them as add-on subjects that are relegated to the margins of the field.
We have a lot of students who are asking questions like, Why is it not until my capstone project that we mention ethics? Mosyjowski said. And I dont think the answer is for instructors to throw out everything theyre doing there are minor tweaks, minor integration that can facilitate that messaging across the entire student experience.
The research team also includes co-principal investigator Lisa Lattuca, professor of integration and design in the College of Engineering and professor of education in the School of Education. The study kicked off in October and is scheduled to run through September 2024.
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The kind of engineering education we need – The Indian Express
A recent article by economist Rathin Roy points out that action on climate change globally has become about green technologies, rather than lower consumption. It says that keeping the focus on reducing inequalities among people will naturally result in more environmental policies. An analogous situation prevails in the area of education in India.The instruction imparted in schools today is beyond the grasp of most students, and is detached from their lives. Students in Class 10 are expected to sum up series and parallel resistances, and conceptually grasp the workings of a DC motor. The reality is that less than 50 per cent of Class 8 students of rural government schools can do division (ASER 2016-18).
This is true of engineering education too and affects decision-making capacity in the country. It happens in two ways. Directly, a difficult engineering education that is detached from peoples lived reality, leads to poor intellectual development. It also ends up leaving unattended numerous gaps that could lead to development and the creation of jobs. Let us look at some examples in the area of electricity supply for irrigation.
The woes of irrigation energy are well documented. A simple web search will show subsidised electricity, inefficiency, groundwater depletion and poor power quality as commonly used terms. Recently, there has also been discussion about direct benefits transfer instead of subsidised electricity, and the use of solar PV pumps as a solution.
An accepted narrative is that subsidies disincentivise distribution companies from investments to improve the quality of supply. However, on investigating, we find that there are, in fact, many solutions that can reduce the cost of supply, improve quality, and also generate employment. This was shown through an investigation conducted by CTARA at IIT Bombay, under the Project on Climate Resilient Agriculture, Government of Maharashtra.
An exercise was done to document the distribution network in Umbarda Bazaar, a typical village in Washim district. The village has 190 pump connections. A simple set of rules was applied to find a restructured design of the network, which had grown somewhat haphazardly over the years, to provide connections to 59 unconnected wells, and also improve performance. The implementation could save Rs 12-15 lakh in new connection costs, and Rs 2.5 lakh per year in repair costs of pumps and transformers. It would cut down distribution losses, and reduce the stress and agricultural loss that farmers suffer due to breakdowns. The case is representative of villages in Maharashtra.
Such redesigning can be done by an electrical engineer with basic capabilities. The lines were to be moved as a part of a restructuring process, one that could provide employment to labourers. This shifts the focus from new materials and infrastructure to human capabilities.
A more detailed GIS-based system incorporating cropping, and electrical systems could be used to optimise such decision-making further. While this needs more sophisticated systems, it does not need cutting-edge research capability in any one discipline. Instead, it warrants a new approach that integrates physical systems across disciplinary boundaries.
Another solution involves groups of 25-30 farmers following a schedule, such that pumping times are staggered even while satisfying irrigation requirements. Such a practice improves the quality of supply. The schedule could be made as a Sudoku-like problem of filling a table based on some thumb rules, or through an optimisation problem clubbed with power systems analysis. Once more, maximising infrastructure use through human capability.
This example illustrates a move away from designing for perfect outcomes for users, to a less than perfect one where people have to adjust to the system. Or, at least the system design could account for locally expected usage. However, such adjustments ought to be formalised this is not jugaad where farmers themselves decide that half the group will operate on alternate days. That is a suboptimal use of the system where people are abandoned to do the best they can when instead our engineers could help them create a better solution.
It may be noted that these examples are very specific to India, and require different skill levels, all the way from diploma holders to PhDs. Hence, solutions that provide jobs, save resources, and improve the lives of our people, need us to investigate issues at the ground level and account for local conditions. Broad-brush targets such as 18 lakh solar pumps (PM-KUSUM) only lead to the organisationally most convenient implementation, not the best outcomes for a certain capital.
So, how is this untapped potential connected to better education? It is generally accepted that familiar contexts lead to better learning. Nilesh Nimkar, an educationist working in tribal areas, notes that if forced to choose, a local context may be more important than tribal language as a medium.
An MIT report, The global state of the art in engineering education, has studied some institutes that are adopting a new pedagogy for emerging problems. The recurring themes are: Contextualised learning, application to real engineering problems, hands-on learning, regional problems, and inter-disciplinarity.
All of this indicates a move away from deep theoretical education to a practical broad-based one. Currently, students may do a final-year project on speed control of a motor, but graduate without understanding the benefits of power factor control in motors. Projects like designing bus routes for optimal service or comparing solar PV pumps to the grid for a crop system, do not result in new technology but contribute to its deployment. And result in the type of engineering training that is sorely needed.
There is a trend to address every problem from climate change to healthcare with the likes of artificial intelligence and blockchain. As a result, we are neglecting the education of an overwhelming majority, and missing out on addressing a large problem space.
This column first appeared in the print edition on December 14, 2021 under the title A syllabus for doers. The writer is assistant professor, Centre for Technology Alternatives for Rural Areas, IIT Bombay
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The kind of engineering education we need - The Indian Express
UM creates first robotics department among top 10 engineering schools | The University Record – The University Record
The Board of Regents has approved the creation of the Department of Robotics in the College of Engineering, a first among the nations top 10 engineering schools.
The new department will define robotics as a discipline, teaching students the skills needed to help drive a rapidly expanding field.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the annual demand for qualified robotics professionals grew by more than 13 percent in 2018 alone. The global industrial and service robotics markets are expected to grow by more than 20 percent year over year, reaching a total market of $310 billion by 2025.
With this bold step forward, we are poised to lead the field in robotics, addressing the nations growing demand for roboticists with graduates equipped to design equity-centered solutions to societys challenges, said Alec D. Gallimore, the Robert J. Vlasic Dean of Engineering, Richard F. and Eleanor A. Towner Professor of Engineering, Arthur F. Thurnau Professor, and professor of aerospace engineering.
Around the country, engineering schools have been watching the field of robotics grow and weighing whether it qualifies as its own discipline separate from conventional disciplines such as mechanical engineering and computer science. In deciding that it is distinct, U-M is formalizing the field and its aims.
This is an inflection point for the field of robotics and Michigans role in its future, said Jessy Grizzle, director of the U-M Robotics Institute and the Elmer G. Gilbert Distinguished University Professor of Engineering. He also is the Jerry W. and Carol L. Levin Professor of Engineering, and professor of electrical and computer engineering and of mechanical engineering.
We will leverage the resources of a dedicated department to accelerate our work in building smart machines that serve society and respect humanity everything from safe industrial robots and bipedal humanoids to inclusive prosthetics and automated vehicles. Our roboticists put people, rather than technology, first. We call it robotics with respect.
The new department will take shape from the existing U-M Robotics Institute, adding more capacity and resources for students and faculty to move the field of robotics forward. The institute currently has 30 core faculty members who span 14 departments, and 42 affiliate faculty from fields as diverse as architecture and anthropology.
The new Department of Robotics will allow Michigan to recruit outstanding experts on the leading edge of robotics research and development, train the next generation of roboticists, and have a broad impact on the state of Michigan and beyond, President Mark Schlissel said. The creation of this department advances U-Ms ability to unlock new dimensions of human potential through innovations in robotics.
Housed in the recently completed $75 million, 134,000-square-foot Ford Motor Company Robotics Building, the institute runs a graduate program, with its first students matriculating in 2014. More than 200 masters and Ph.D. students are now enrolled.
Leveraging the universitys strength across breadth, the new robotics department will truly transform the field, while serving our students, supporting our faculty and enhancing the cutting-edge research that is a hallmark of our university, said Susan M. Collins, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs.
In addition to enabling the robotics faculty to recruit and hire an additional 15 robotics experts over the next three to five years, one aim of the new department is to create a four-year undergraduate degree.
This should help ease the bottleneck in Michigan robotics talent, including high-demand fields like computer vision and autonomous control. Currently a U-M robotics degree requires a four-year bachelors degree in a related discipline, followed by a two-year masters program in robotics.
Pilot undergraduate courses in robotics began last year, offering first-year topics such as computational linear algebra, robotic mechanisms, and introduction to programming and artificial intelligence. Through an approach the robotics faculty call coding is believing, they teach engineering fundamentals through robotics projects, addressing the core interests of students from day one.
The course developers are partnering with institutions, including Morehouse College, that serve communities that are historically excluded from technology. Through these partnerships, students participate in a multi-university community through courses developed collaboratively with U-M.
As we design our new undergraduate curriculum, Michigan has the unique opportunity to define the discipline of robotics with a priority on both equity and excellence, said Chad Jenkins, associate director of the undergraduate program and professor of electrical engineering and computer science.
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Swerving prevention method prompts new patent for USF engineers – University of South Florida
In the midst of reviewing data for the final phase of a federally funded program to create and implement connected vehicle technology in downtown Tampa, researchers with the USF Center for Urban Transportation Research have been awarded a U.S. patent for their algorithm that detects one of the greatest roadway hazards swerving.
Sisinnio Concas, program director of Autonomous-Connected Mobility Evaluation at USF, has been working on the Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority Connected Vehicle Pilot, which launched in 2015. As part of the $22 million project funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation, more than 1,000 drivers volunteered to have their personal vehicles retrofitted with connected vehicle (CV) technology, allowing their vehicles to wirelessly communicate to roadside infrastructure and exchange information on traffic and other hazards that could affect pedestrian, vehicle and bicycle safety.
Through data evaluation, Concas and his team designed an algorithm that detects unwanted objects in the road and where theyre causing connected vehicles to swerve. This data can be transmitted to traffic monitoring centers in real-time up to 10 times per second which would allow dispatchers to rapidly deploy the proper agency such as transportation departments for debris removal and emergency responders in the case of a car crash.
Currently, the real-time reporting of roadway objects and incidents depends on drivers self-reporting, which is inefficient and unsafe as it may lead to distracted driving, Concas said. Finding the exact debris location can be challenging and adds to delays between notifications and actual removal.
Researchers created the algorithm through testing on the Lee Roy Selmon Expressway Reversible Express Lanes. With assistance from the Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority (THEA), they mimicked the presence of debris in the then-closed road by placing traffic cones. Using their own CV technology-equipped vehicles, the team found that they were able to accurately pinpoint the obstruction, regardless of speed, and automatically transmit that information to a remote server.
A tool that aids in the timely and cost-efficient locating and removal of roadway debris would help create a safer, more efficient roadway for our agency, said THEA Planning and Innovation Director Bob Frey.
During this last phase of the THEA CV Pilot, scheduled to conclude next year, researchers have been working with Honda, Hyundai and Toyota to test how the CV technology interacts with their hardware. Theyve been looking at a number of features, such as forward collision and red light violation warnings, wrong way entry and end or ramp deceleration warning. Concas hopes the auto manufacturers will consider incorporating his patented algorithm into their vehicles.
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Swerving prevention method prompts new patent for USF engineers - University of South Florida
American Society of Mechanical Engineers and Discovery Education Partner to Unlock Student Success Through Engineering – Yahoo Finance
SILVER SPRING, Md. --News Direct-- Discovery Education
SILVER SPRING, Md., December 2, 2021 /3BL Media/ - Discovery Education and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) have launched Engineering Dreams, an educational initiative designed to engage K-12 students nationwide in the biggest challenges of today while helping them unlock future success through engineering. Engineering Dreams offers educators and students a variety of interactive, standards-aligned learning resources to inspire the next generation of creative thinkers, risk takers and ethical problem-solvers.
To help every community celebrate the E in STEM, Engineering Dreams offers educators a video topic series, Problem-Solvers for Good, that explores engineering-based solutions to local community challenges that have the promise of positive global impact.
ASME champions equitable access to unique and impactful K-12 STEM education content and experiences that are intentionally designed to reach students chronically underrepresented in STEM, says ASME Executive Director/CEO Tom Costabile, P.E. This collaboration with Discovery Education is a critical lynchpin in ASMEs overall DEI strategy to foster a more diverse and inclusive pipeline of students eager to pursue engineering. Many of our diverse talented members are storytellers who can fill a critical gap in representation by sharing real-world examples of engineers and engineering that resonate with students.
From innovator spotlights to classroom activities, the no-cost resources aligned to learning standards available on Engineering Dreams offer new ways for educators to engage students in engineering. Additionally, student resources help all learners think like an engineer by exploring the lives of real people with real stories of using STEM skills to improve lives.
This STEM education collaboration with Discovery Education serves as a launchpad for future generations of engineers whose innovations will transform our world, said Kathleen Lobb, executive director of the ASME Foundation and managing director of ASME philanthropy. With the generous support of our donors, the ASME Foundation is able to fund programs including Engineering Dreams.
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In addition to Engineering Dreams, ASME is a signature partner of the STEM Careers Coalition the first-of-its-kind national STEM initiative powered by business leaders and anchored in schools by Discovery Education. The Coalition unites a range of industries around the common goals of empowering educators to teach STEM effectively in the classroom, fostering and promoting quality education, and building the next generation of STEM solution-seekers with an intentional focus on fostering and improving racial and gender equity. Representing a range of industry sectors, the STEM Careers Coalition seeks to prepare students for the future of work by providing equitable access to digital content and experiences that engage students in instruction, build foundational STEM knowledge, and develop the critical skills students need for college and career success.
Engineering helps opens doors for students in every imaginable industry, said Lori McFarling, President of Social Impact at Discovery Education. In partnership with ASME, we are helping build equitable and engaging learning experiences for all while empowering students to be resilient and innovative STEM doers prepared to engineer their own dreams.
Learn more about Engineering Dreams at http://www.engineeringdreamsinschool.com and within the Discovery Education K-12 learning platform.
For more information about Discovery Educations digital resources and professional learning services, visit http://www.discoveryeducation.com, and stay connected with Discovery Education on social media through Twitter and LinkedIn.
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About ASMEASME helps the global engineering community develop solutions to real world challenges. Founded in 1880 as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, ASME is a not-for-profit professional organization that enables collaboration, knowledge sharing, and skill development across all engineering disciplines, while promoting the vital role of the engineer in society. ASME codes and standards, publications, conferences, continuing education, and professional development programs provide a foundation for advancing technical knowledge and a safer world. In 2020, ASME formed the International Society of Interdisciplinary Engineers (ISIE) LLC, a new for-profit subsidiary to house business ventures that will bring new and innovative products, services, and technologies to the engineering community, and later established the holding company, Global Knowledge Solutions LLC. In 2021, ASME launched a second for-profit subsidiary, Metric Connect LLC, an industry events and content platform to accelerate digital transformation in the engineering community and an agent for the Mechanical Engineering brand of media products. For more information, visit http://www.asme.org. @asmedotorg
About the ASME FoundationThe ASME Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, supporting an array of programs in three core pillars: engineering education, career engagement, and global development. With the goal of empowering tomorrows technical workforce, the ASME Foundation advances equitable access both to professional opportunities and to engineering innovations that improve quality of life. For more information, visit http://www.asmefoundation.org.
About Discovery EducationDiscovery Education is the worldwide edtech leader whose state-of-the-art digital platform supports learning wherever it takes place. Through its award-winning multimedia content, instructional supports, and innovative classroom tools, Discovery Education helps educators deliver equitable learning experiences engaging all students and supporting higher academic achievement on a global scale. Discovery Education serves approximately 4.5 million educators and 45 million students worldwide, and its resources are accessed in over 140 countries and territories. Inspired by the global media company Discovery, Inc., Discovery Education partners with districts, states, and trusted organizations to empower teachers with leading edtech solutions that support the success of all learners. Explore the future of education at http://www.discoveryeducation.com.
ContactsGrace Maliska | Discovery Education | gmaliska@discoveryed.com
Monica Shovlin | MCShovlin Communications LLC (for ASME) | monica@mcshovlin.com
View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Discovery Education on 3blmedia.com
View source version on newsdirect.com: https://newsdirect.com/news/american-society-of-mechanical-engineers-and-discovery-education-partner-to-unlock-student-success-through-engineering-717181960
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Engineer’s bat-inspired artificial brain could improve submarine navigation – The Hub at Johns Hopkins
ByWick Eisenberg
The ability of bats to understand and use sound has always been essential to their survival. Though these winged creatures have eyes, they rely heavily on echolocation, which means that they use the echoes of sounds they produce themselves to navigate their environment and understand where they and other objectsand creaturesare.
Using that fast-flying nocturnal animal's ability as a model, Sangwook Park, a postdoctoral fellow in the Whiting School of Engineering's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, is creating a computer model called an artificial midbrain that not only is improving the understanding of how creatures who use echolocation communicate and navigate, but also has implications for use in designing new systems and technologies, including enhancing submarines' sonar systems to help crews more accurately navigate thousands of feet underwater.
"We believe that we're able to invent the next generation of sonar system, which aims to identify a target, as well as to localize the target, based on the bat's fascinating ability in auditory perception," Park said.
Sangwook Park
Postdoctoral fellow, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
A member of electrical and computer engineering Professor Mounya Elhilali's Laboratory for Computational Audio Perception, Park collaborated with Angeles Salles and Kathryne Allen, who are postdoctoral fellows from the lab of Cynthia Moss, a professor in the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences' Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences. Park's part of the project began with a hypothesis based on research from a previous study of Mexican free-tailed bats. That study suggested a possible connection between individual neurons founds in the bats' midbrain region and soundscalled "conspecific sounds"made by that species.
Moss's group observed how the brains of big brown bats (also called "house bats" and a breed distinct from Mexican free-tailed bats) responded to sounds, and what the midbrain's role in that process was. The group recorded the animals' neural responses and then compared those findings to what went on in the big brown bats' midbrain during vocalization.
The results corroborated the same relationship between neurons and conspecific sounds in the big brown bat, even though it emits different call sounds than the Mexican free-tailed bat. In essence, the big brown bat's midbrain processes calls it makes itself the same way as it processes other sounds.
"This discovery allowed us to build a data-driven model: basically, an artificial midbrain of the bat that can understand and process sounds in much the same way as the bat does so successfully," Park said.
Park's artificial midbrain is a computer network that sends out sounds that have the same characteristics as natural sounds, and then emulates how a big brown bat responds to such sounds.
"We think that our work has a number of practical applications, including helping submarine crews understand their surroundings better," Park said. "Presently, the technology submarines use only tells the crew if something is nearby, rather than what it is exactly. When a sonar system receives multiple echoes from unknown objects, our model could help the crew recognize which one is a threat to damage the submarinesuch as the bottom of the sea floorand which is not, like a big fish floating by."
Park pursued this research because of his fascination with the brain. He joined Elhilali's lab for his postdoctoral fellowship so he could combine that interest with his engineering background. In addition to having top of the line facilities and equipment, Park also credits the culture at Hopkins for playing an integral role in this work.
"I have really liked that Hopkins gives you more room to grow as a researcher. It isn't all about hitting deadlines like it can be at other universities," Park said. "I felt fully free to just concentrate on my work; it's a great environment to conduct research."
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Engineers: Transforming lives and inspiring communities – The Irish Times
Behind every great feat of engineering are outstanding engineers who use their skills to deliver creative and sustainable solutions for communities in Ireland and overseas.
As the professional membership body for engineers, Engineers Ireland celebrates and showcases the fantastic work produced by Irelands engineers through initiatives such as our Engineering Excellence Digital Series, held in association with ESB.
In addition to recognising the engineering skill required to deliver outstanding projects in the fields of innovation, impact, sustainability, buildings and structures, and infrastructure in 2021, the series also shines a light on the engineers behind these projects and how their work benefits and transforms communities.
This year we are delighted to recognise Aisling Hahessy, a senior structural engineer with Arup, as Engineers Irelands Engineer of the Year, and to showcase her work as part of our six-part video series, which is also supported by Accenture and Geoscience Ireland.
Aisling was chosen by Engineers Ireland in recognition of the impact and contribution of her work on communities in Ireland and overseas. From city-scaping projects for ever-expanding urban populations to vital humanitarian projects, Aisling has utilised her engineering skillset to effect change for many communities across the globe.
Aisling holds a firm belief that engineers have a vital role to play in solving the world's most-pressing challenges, and has worked on projects that help to reduce the inequalities experienced by some of the most vulnerable communities in the world.
From her base in Arups Cork office, she is the lead structural engineer for the design of bamboo play structures in rural Bangladesh and the concept design of a music academy in a refugee camp in Uganda. She is also working as part of a team on the reconstruction and retrofit of 74 schools in Peru following the devastating impact of the 2017 El Nio storm. This project will impact the lives of 47,000 children across Peru in its first year of completion alone.
In addition to supporting international communities through overseas development work and her Irish-based work as the lead structural engineer for the concrete works of a four-storey extension to Mallow General Hospital, Aisling has also been involved in a number of volunteering projects and outreach initiatives. From bridge construction projects in Rwanda to the promotion of STEM(science, technology, engineering, and maths) subjects and careers to secondary students in Ireland, Aislings dedication to her profession has allowed her to transform lives and inspire future generations of engineers.
Much like Aisling, Irelands engineers play a vital role in communities across Ireland by volunteering their time and talents to support learning, development, and STEM outreach initiatives.
At Engineers Ireland, our member-volunteers are the lifeblood of our community. Therefore, as International Volunteer Day approaches on December 5th, we wish to not only applaud the fantastic achievements of our engineering talent, such as our Engineer of the Year, but also encourage and inspire all engineering professionals to become makers of change by becoming volunteers.
One initiative that requires the support of the engineering community annually is Engineers Irelands Stepsprogramme - funded by Science Foundation Ireland, the Department of Education and industry leaders Arup, EPA, ESB, Intel and Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII). A key initiative of the programme, which is the only national STEM outreach programme with a focus on engineering, is Steps Engineers Week. Taking place from March 5th to 11th, 2022, this week-long campaign is held annually to promote engineering and its importance to Ireland.
We are now calling on engineering organisations, local authorities, and third-level institutions nationwide to play an active role in StepsEngineers Week 2022 and inspire Irelands future engineering talent. Through participation in this campaign, volunteers can support and encourage young people to find out more about the profession and how they too can play a pivotal role in transforming lives across the globe, just like Aisling Hahessy.
Find out more about how to get involved in StepsEngineers Week -www.engineersireland.ie
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Engineers: Transforming lives and inspiring communities - The Irish Times
Launching the Future of Biomedical Engineering Education – Ole Miss News
UM engineering Dean David Puleo (from left), Department of Biomedical Engineering Chair Dwight Waddell, Chancellor Glenn Boyce and Provost Noel Wilkin cut a ribbon to celebrate the opening of the new Department of Biomedical Engineering expansion in Brevard Hall. Photo by Shea Stewart/Office of Research and Sponsored Programs
OXFORD, Miss. The University of Mississippi has unveiled its sparkling new biomedical engineering expansion that will better prepare students for careers in a pioneering field that combines technology with medicine.
The roughly 6,500-square-foot space, on the third floor of Brevard Hall, also will help nurture innovative research and advance the technological and economic development of Mississippi, the region and the nation, campus leaders said.
We have the first Department of Biomedical Engineering in the state of Mississippi, and this program is going to grow enormously over the next several years and beyond, Chancellor Glenn Boyce said at the Nov. 19 ceremony.
What you see today is the beginning. What youre going to see in five years or 10 years is going to be extraordinary. I know weve got the students and the graduates who are going to become exceptional in the field.
When we start our research on medical devices and we get our own devices going, were going to have businesses and companies who are going to want to come see us and visit with us. Thats what we want to make sure happens for the state of Mississippi and certainly for the reputation of this program.
Created in November 2016, the department has flourished, welcoming its inaugural class in the fall of 2017 and celebrating its first freshman-to-senior graduating class in May 2021. The program is the third-largest department in the School of Engineering, with more than 60% of its undergraduate students women and nearly half enrolled in the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College.
UM engineering Dean David Puleo talks to visitors in the new Department of Biomedical Engineering expansion following a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the space. Photo by Shea Stewart/Office of Research and Sponsored Programs
About 130 students are enrolled in the program, where students choose a trck of study in biomolecular engineering, biomedical systems or bioinformatics.
Within the last year, the departments faculty also have generated more than $1.5 million in research funding from agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, the American Heart Association and the American Cancer Society.
Biomedical engineering and this newly renovated space are where students can get their hands on stuff, said Dwight Waddell, associate professor and chair of biomedical engineering. Hands-on engineering is the best dress rehearsal because much of what we ask students to do in a laboratory setting informs how and what theyre going to do for their job.
The new space includes an active learning room, an information technology-rich environment that allows for student collaboration as they address real-world problems.
The space also includes an innovation lab and a fabrication lab, both of which include high-end industrial equipment such as computer-guided laser cutters, advanced 3D printers and a mechanical testing system that mimics loads seen in a real-time environment.
Its basically a machine that pulls, pushes or twists objects, Waddell said. In a sense, it breaks things, and it teaches young people when you build something and its under forces, eventually its going to wear and fail. This shows how and where it does, and how we can better understand the process.
While the simple definition of biomedical engineering is technology meeting medicine, Waddell said its a wider and broader field than people think.
Members of the class of 2021 are pursuing careers in biomedical industries such as medical device design, biotechnology and pharmaceutical research and sales, while others have entered medical, dental, law and graduate schools to expand their knowledge and add to their Ole Miss experiences.
Dwight Waddell, associate professor and chair of biomedical engineering, speaks at the ribbon cutting for the new Department of Biomedical Engineering expansion in Brevard Hall. Photo by Shea Stewart/Office of Research and Sponsored Programs
What we do is we create a bag of very useful tools for a young person to carry around, Waddell said. And at that point, they can peddle their wares wherever someone finds use for the tool.
The new space will only increase the departments opportunities for students and provide them with the knowledge to explore and develop their biomedical engineering interests, said David Puleo, dean of the School of Engineering and professor of biomedical engineering.
The renovated space enables biomedical engineering students to work individually and in teams to understand and then design solutions that improve human health, said Puleo, who recently was inducted as a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors. The labs provide advanced instrumentation for students to learn by doing, whether making physiological measurements, developing new devices or 3D-printing implants.
The biomedical engineering expansion is just one area where the university is pushing the boundaries of student education, faculty research and economic development, UM Provost Noel Wilkin said.
Dr. Dwight Waddell was optimistic that he could create a program that would be in demand, attract amazing faculty, garner the support of the university and make a difference, Wilkin said. Dr. Waddell and Dean Puleo brought this space into focus, and with the hard work of the faculty and staff, and the partnership with the university, we are standing before it today.
This space is a beacon of optimism, not only within the School of Engineering but across our university. It is a belief that we can make a difference, and itll matter to the world.
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Launching the Future of Biomedical Engineering Education - Ole Miss News
Accenture Acquires Headspring to Expand and Enhance Cloud First Platform Engineering Capabilities – Business Wire
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Accenture (NYSE: ACN) has acquired the consulting practice of Headspring, a cloud native and platform engineering services firm based in Austin, Texas. Headspring provides a broad range of cloud services including platform architecture, engineering, modernization and product management. Headsprings services and cloud experts will boost Accenture Cloud Firsts platform engineering capabilities aimed at helping clients accelerate their transformations and derive greater value from their cloud investments. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Accentures acquisition of Headspring will help us scale one of the most comprehensive platform engineering and cloud native capabilities in the world. The depth and breadth of Headsprings cloud-focused services and their significant experience working with Fortune 500 companies over the past two decades will be a valuable addition to our existing cloud engineering capabilities in North America and globally, said Karthik Narain, global lead of Accenture Cloud First.
Founded in 2001 and with approximately 90 employees in the U.S. and Mexico, Headspring serves public and private sector clients across numerous industries, including energy, financial services, government and nonprofit.
Were relentlessly focused on helping clients utilize the cloud to move faster, work better, and stand out in a shifting market. We do this by understanding their teams, goals and vision thats the Headspring difference which aligns perfectly with Accentures focus on business outcomes, said Dustin Wells, founder, president & CEO of Headspring. Joining the Accenture team will collectively elevate our position as trusted transformation advisors and executers.
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Engineering’s Singh recognized for teaching beyond the classroom – Office of Communications and Marketing
Adit Singh wanted to fly airplanes when he grew up.I received my first flying license before my first drivers license, said Singh, the Godbold Chair Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering within Auburn Universitys Samuel Ginn College of Engineering. When I began flying, we flew gliders and small planes with very primitive electronic equipment. Gauges were mechanical, and often we had no radio.
Thanks to researchers like Singh, however, many devicesincluding countless household itemsare no longer built with primitive electronics.
Tiny, integrated circuit chips are the heart of micro-computers, Singh said. These are the marvels of microelectronic technology that have powered the internet revolution and the economy in recent decades.
Singh, a Life Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers whose Auburn career began in 1991 after a stint as a professor at the University of Massachusetts, has trained and educated thousands of engineers from leading semiconductor companies worldwide in cutting-edge technologies associated with the design and testing of integrated circuit chips.
For his contributions to industry and enhancing careers of countless engineers worldwide, Singh was presented the prestigious Auburn University 2021 Award for Excellence in Faculty Outreach.
Throughout his impressive career, Dr. Singh has exhibited a unique capacity to identify important problems in the field, create technical solutions and also develop translational outreach programs, said Christopher B. Roberts, dean of engineering. Auburn University and dozens of semiconductor manufacturers are stronger as a result of Dr. Singhs contributions.
Department of Electronical and Computer Engineering Chair Mark Nelms considers Singh, the embodiment of outreach and impact and an ambassador for Auburn University.
We have all benefited from the rapid developments in these ubiquitous integrated circuits as they can be found in everyday devices such as cell phones, televisions, home appliances and automobiles, Nelms said.
Singhs reputation in the research community, particularly with adaptive testing technology, allowed him to develop tutorials on advanced, cutting-edge topics in the testing of integrated circuits to screen out subtle manufacturing defects that can cause operational failures in electronic systems.
What happens if one of the circuit chips malfunctions? How can one determine which internal component caused the problem? How can bad chips be discovered before they are placed into a cell phone or computer? These questions must be asked, then answered.
Youve got to find the bad apples in the integrated circuit production line, Singh said. You must thoroughly test each one of the millions of chips manufactured every day worldwide.
Singhs initial research on adaptive test methodology, funded by the National Science Foundation, also involved collaboration with IBM from 2000-03. Adaptive testing is a generic term for a variety of techniques designed to improve the test quality, and/or reducing the test application costs. Within this procedure, a parts pass/fail limit is not standardized, or fixed as they are in conventional device testing.
Senior industry engineers and managers are often skeptical of academic research, Singh said. What can an academic teach us, they ask? What do professors understand of the immediate needs of industry given our rapidly advancing technology?
None of this information gets into any textbook until long after it is out of date. It takes time to gain their trust, and show them that you have something of value to offer them. Having this exposure of frequently presenting outreach tutorial to highly experienced engineers from the top semiconductor companies facing the detailed technical questions they pose, many of which lead to intense discussions, helps me get a good picture of whats going on within industry. Why are they asking these questions? What are their needs?
Whereas, Singh has taken great pride in being instrumental in building successful engineering careers, he pointed out that the many industry professionals he educates help spark his own creativity and research that makes a meaningful impact.
Research is a reasonable way of disseminating information, he said. But to have impact, you must understand what the industry really wants, or needs. This is where my exchanges within industry, and engineering professionals, have become most useful. To me, outreach is to be out there with the professionals, the engineers and the designers. There, we have a full exchange of ideas.
When a pupil leaves Singhs classroom and walks into industry, what educational tools are most important?
Thats very simple, Singh said. The fundamentals. The basic concepts of technology. Things have changed a lot in the past 30 years. Technology is rapidly advancing.
As an engineering professor, if you spend most of your time having them learn a specific piece of hardware or software, you can be sure that tomorrow that design will be obsolete. The professional who is trained well is the one who can understand the basic, fundamental engineering concepts that he or she has learned. Specifics of the technology change, but the fundamentals do not.
Singh still enjoys teaching within classrooms at Auburn and through tutorials and conferences spanning the globe. He still enjoys research and the never-ending search to answer the questions why? or how? that benefits industry, and ultimately the lives of millions.
And, of course, he still hopes to be able to devote more time to flying again someday.
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