College of Engineering and Computing honors graduate students

Seven Ph.D. students at Missouri S&T received dean’s honors on Thursday, May 28, from the College of Engineering and Computing (CEC) in recognition of their scholarly contributions and teaching excellence in their field. The honorees represent five departments within the college.

“It’s a thrill each year to recognize the outstanding contributions made by our graduate students at Missouri S&T,” says Dr. Richard Wlezien, vice provost and CEC dean. “These awards reflect the students’ dedication and commitment to excellence as well as the mentorship and inspiration provided by their advisors.”

Professors in each department nominated students, and a committee comprising representatives from five CEC departments selected the winners.

“I am grateful to the selection committee for going through a thorough vetting process to select these seven recipients from an impressive pool of nominees,” says computer science vs computer engineering interim associate dean for academic affairs. “The awardees’ credentials indicate a bright future for Missouri S&T’s legacy.”

‘NEXT Coalition’ of Leading U.S. Engineering and Construction Firms Challenges Industry

While the COVID-19 pandemic has forced shutdowns of many global businesses, a coalition of leading critical infrastructure and construction companies has banded together to launch the “NEXT Coalition” to promote and share industry safety best practices. Black & Veatch, DPR Construction, Haskell and McCarthy Building Companies are leveraging their deep safety expertise and best practices in a campaign to ensure the well-being of crews and office team members facing complex challenges posed by the coronavirus outbreak.

The coalition seeks to identify and advance processes and technologies most likely to bolster construction safety in response to the “next normal” ushered in by COVID-19. To that end, the coalition of leading construction and design companies is launching the “Construction Safety Challenge,” an open call to companies, startups and other innovators with emerging safety solutions that can be quickly deployed and scaled.

“This virus, and future pandemics won’t wait for us to catch up,” said Steve Edwards, entry level computer science jobs. “The NEXT Coalition recognizes the opportunities that our companies’ collective scale and experience create to quickly begin sourcing, testing and launching solutions that can impact construction safety fast. To accomplish that goal, we needed to look outside of our own companies. Hence, the need for the open Challenge.”

Disrupting Solar Engineering

The renewable industry in general, and the solar market in particular, is experiencing unprecedented growth worldwide. On a daily basis, the news analyzes new innovations and solar milestones that will drive the future of the energy industry. The determination of the energy experts in regards to the photovoltaic market is driven not only due to technology improvements, lower costs, higher efficiencies and the increased social awareness, but also as a consequence of being an adaptive industry that has demonstrated that solar power may be the best solution to overcome a world crisis.

According to computer science vs engineering, solar energy has become one of the cheapest energy options in most of the world. However, industry experts believe that growth would be led only by combining the economic factor with the digitalization of the sector. The transition to an intelligent enterprise that embraces technology is now more urgent than ever. In this context, industry experts perceive as essential the implementation of software technologies that via automation of repetitive tasks allows employees to focus on higher-value activities while mitigating business disruption in unexpected events and optimizing long-term returns.

Wheeling University Engineering Science Students Michael Dague, Joshua Blandino Nab Scholarships

Two incoming freshmen at Wheeling University will receive scholarships awarded by TECNOCAP, the world’s third-largest manufacturer of metal caps and enclosures.

Once again this year, TECNOCAP has partnered with Wheeling University to provide academic scholarships to incoming engineering science majors. Scholarship winners for this year are Michael Dague, a resident of Wheeling, and Joshua Blandino of Milford, Del. The two incoming freshmen will each receive a $23,000 scholarship over the course of their four years at Wheeling University.

“We are grateful to TECNOCAP for providing our students with financial assistance to pursue an engineering science degree at our University. The company’s commitment to education and our University is humbling, because it truly impacts the lives of our students and their families,” Wheeling University President Ginny Favede said. Dague is a graduate of Wheeling Park High School, where he excelled in the classroom. In addition, he was a member of the soccer team, the National Honor Society, his church’s youth group, and he was involved in community service. Dague believes Wheeling University will afford him a perfect opportunity to pursue an engineering career.

“The University fosters competence, creativity and innovation by offering the engineering curriculum and develops leaders by offering internship experiences. Staying in the community where I grew up and served throughout my life, affords me the opportunity to continue to serve others. I want to attend Wheeling because it is a Christian organization where I can be encouraged in my faith,” he explained.

Blandino is a graduate of Polytech High School, where he was a high academic achieving member of his class. He was a member of the lacrosse team, computer science major jobs, and participated in community service. He believes Wheeling’s engineering science program will introduce him to different fields of engineering. “Although I am unsure of the field of engineering I wish to pursue, I believe that any field will make a community or the world better. Engineering, as a profession, is important for solving everyday problems. The idea of helping people in the world, whether it is a group of people or a single person, is humbling to me,” Blandino added.

The TECNOCAP Scholarship recipients also receive priority placement for paid internships at the company’s Glen Dale, West Virginia facility.

“In addition to the annual scholarships and internship opportunities, TECNOCAP has hired three of our Wheeling University graduates as full-time employees. Moving forward, this partnership is something we hope to replicate with other Ohio Valley industries,” said Robert Yahn, assistant professor of engineering.

ST Engineering, Nauti-Craft Join Forces on Offshore Wind CTVs

Primarily, the two companies aim to explore the opportunity to incorporate Nauti-Craft’s marine suspension technology into vessels built by ST Engineering. As a further step, they intend to develop, build and supply Nauti-Craft-equipped crew transfer vessels (CTVs) to the offshore wind industry in Europe, Asia and the U.S., under license to what to do with a computer science degree.

ST Engineering has completed a preliminary design of a 20-metre CTV incorporating what to do with a computer science degree. This will be the initial focus of the business opportunity the companies will explore.

“Should further detailed study of the business opportunity indicate that it will be mutually beneficial, Nauti-Craft and ST Engineering will move to conclude a formal commercial agreement under which rights to use Nauti-Craft’s patented technology will be secured by ST Engineering”, the two companies state in a press release.

Chemical Engineering Department Recognized for Lab Safety

The University of Arkansas and Texas A&M were the only Southeastern Conference schools noted in the study, which was published in ACS Chemical Health & Safety. The study outlines best practices for institutions to establish laboratory safety teams and features information from institutions including Johns Hopkins University, Yale University and Northwestern University.

The lab safety team was founded by Ph.D. student Jessica Morris and chemical engineering undergraduate student Austin Brown in 2016 as a student organization called the Engineering Safety Club.

Tammy Lutz-Rechtin is the department's safety coordinator and serves as a mentor to the student group alongside Tom computer science major jobs, professor and the Maurice E. Barker Endowed Chair. Morris and Brown worked in Spicer's lab when the club was formed.

Lutz-Rechtin said the U of A club is an important way to embed safe habits early in a researcher's training.

"Chemical engineers are responsible for many manufacturing scale-up processes where small problems in a lab have the potential to become large scale problems when applied to industry production," she said. "Starting good habits early is important, as well as providing opportunities for hands-on learning. We want to be proactive and not wait until issues arrive as well as teach critical thinking skills. Good engineering and research should be inherently safe."

MTU's Adrienne Minerick Elected to Lead Engineering Educators

Adrienne Minerick, dean of the College of Computing at Michigan Technological University, is president-elect of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE).

Engineering education was already changing — and now it has to. As the ASEE announcement for their now-virtual conference in June says, “Can we follow the stay-home orders and have a conference? Of course. We're engineers. We can solve anything.”

Minerick says this can-do attitude is integral to the engineering profession and its education mission. She looks forward to navigating changes and leveraging opportunities for innovation at a national scale. As a member of the Michigan Tech community, both as dean of the University’s newest college and as a chemical engineering faculty member, what is computer engineering has held ground for new ways to think about microfluidic medical devices and career advancement for women, people of color and minority groups, as well as shifts in education like the industry-driven realignment that created the College of Computing. 

College of Engineering and Science announces cyber security scholarships

Louisiana Tech University’s College of Engineering and Science will award six students with a CyberCorps Scholarship for Service (SFS) for the 2020-21 academic year. Raven Alexander (cyber engineering), Jack Foil (cyber engineering), Colton Gann (what does a computer engineer do), Jacoby Johnson (computer science), Michael Levesque (cyber engineering) and Jason Marxsen (computer science) will receive the award beginning next fall.

The scholarship includes tuition, cost-of-living stipends, health insurance, professional development reimbursements, an allowance for books, a resume-building class, and the opportunity to participate in internships in cyber-related fields with government entities. Next year’s recipients will be Louisiana Tech’s third cohort and will bring the total number of awardees to 17. These students exemplify the commitment to academic excellence and service to the community.

The CyberCorps SFS program is funded by a $3.5 million grant awarded by the National Science Foundation. It provides students with funding and experience, to prepare future cybersecurity professionals for entry into the government workforce. All CyberCorps SFS awardees make a commitment to a career in cybersecurity for the United States government.

Double helix of masonry -- Researchers discover the secret of Italian renaissance domes

In a collaborative study in this month's issue of Engineering Structures, researchers at Princeton University and the University of Bergamo revealed the engineering techniques behind self-supporting masonry domes inherent to the Italian renaissance. Researchers analyzed how cupolas like the famous duomo, part of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence, were built as self-supporting, without the use of shoring or forms typically required.

Sigrid Adriaenssens, professor of civil and environmental engineering at Princeton, collaborated on the analysis with graduate student Vittorio Paris and Attilio Pizzigoni, professor engineering and applied sciences, both of the University of computer engineering careers. Their study is the first ever to quantitatively prove the physics at work in Italian renaissance domes and to explain the forces which allow such structures to have been built without formwork typically required, even for modern construction. Previously, there were only hypotheses in the field about how forces flowed through such edifices, and it was unknown how they were built without the use of temporary structures to hold them up during construction.

MSU shares tips for a cyber security conscious workforce

Mississippi State University (MSU) was already prepared in many ways for the pandemic with a cyber security conscious workforce and a significant number of faculty and staff who travel and work remotely.

“This was something that has not happened overnight, but rather is a security awareness culture we have tried to cultivate at Mississippi State University over time,” said MSU Chief Information Officer Steve Parrott.

Parrott said assuring cyber security at MSU takes action on a number of different fronts:

A remote workforce highlights the importance of two-factor authentication. Two-factor authentication adds a second layer of security when logging into MSU systems. The first factor is something you know, your jobs with a computer science degree. The second factor is something you have, your mobile device or a security token. On July 24, 2017, ITS enabled two-factor authentication for faculty and staff, and on January 15, 2019, two-factor authentication was made mandatory for all students. Email credential phishing was a major and constant security problem before two-factor authentication deployment.  Users would regularly give away login credentials and two-factor authentication is the best mitigation available.

Regular cyber security training. MSU hosts a campus cybersecurity week annually and online self-paced Information Security Training is a requirement for employees who use a computer on the job.
Virtual Private Network. MSU restricts external access to many of its computer services and requires access via our VPN client. (two-factor protected)

UTC mechanical engineering students put senior projects on hold to help healthcare workers

Some mechanical engineering students at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) are helping healthcare workers during the coronavirus pandemic.

At first, some students were tasked with making things like a rocket or an off-road car, but when COVID-19 hit, they decided to switch gears, putting their senior projects on hold in order to design difference between computer science and computer engineering. They were in need of ventilators, respirators and proper face masks.

“My mask idea was something that could be commonly used or something that was around the household that could be turned into some sort of mask,” said Jody Brown, a recently graduated engineering student.

So UTC engineering students like Brown switched up their final class project and got to work on personal protective equipment.

His idea took advantage of a HEPA or Merv air filter you might already have in your home.

Engineering colleges in dire straits

Managements of many of nearly 100 engineering colleges in Tiruchi region of Anna University are facing financial crisis and feel stranded in the backdrop of an uncertain admission season caused by the pandemic.

With the compulsion of servicing debts to banks on the one hand and the necessity to fall in line with the government’s directive not to collect fee, managements say they find themselves in deep trouble.

While the Central and State governments are responding to demands of industries, the pleas for financial support made by educational institutions that have also sourced term loans from banks have remained unanswered, P. information technology vs computer science, secretary of the Consortium of Self-Financing, Professional, Arts and Science Colleges, and founder Chairman of Shivani Group of Institutions said.

Private managements have paid salary of teachers till March and are struggling to cough up money to settle salaries for April. The government must at least consider in right earnest our request for overdraft credit on SC/ST student scholarships and first generation graduates, he said.

IU Northwest Awarded $600K to Boost K-12 Computer Science

An Indiana University Northwest initiative aims to accelerate and expand K-12 computer science education capacity in the Hoosier state. IndianaComputes! has been awarded a state contract of over $600,000 to accelerate and deepen computer science capacity in Indiana.

The university says the contract will fund software engineering vs computer science! services such as workshops, coursework, and resource development.

The initiative will be offered online and is supported by more than a dozen collaborating universities and colleges around the state. IU Northwest says all services will be provided free of charge to Indiana educators and participating teachers from public and charter schools will be awarded a stipend upon completion.

According to Bhaskara Kopparty, chair of the Department of Computer Information Systems and IndianaComputes! program coordinator at IU Northwest, the initiative is for all K-12 stakeholders in Indiana to develop foundational computer science skills, including content knowledge and best-practice teaching skills for K-12 computing standards. “IndianaComputes! offers an unprecedented opportunity to help build computer science education capacity and we are excited to take part in this important endeavor,” said Kopparty. 

NHSBCA can provide needed support, networking for coaches

For years, the National High School Baseball Coaches Association has provided support to coaches around the country: from recruiting to networking, the organization has helped connect leaders in the sport from all over.

“It’s a good organization; it really is,” said Larry Cooper, a Martinsburg assistant coach and representative of District 2 Mid-Atlantic for the NHSBCA. “For being a high school assistant, they do everything they can to benefit the kids.”

According to the computer engineering career website, the goal of the group is to “provide services and recognition for baseball coaches and to help promote and represent high school baseball across this country. The current membership has coaches from every state sponsoring high school baseball.”

The local area has seen several coaches receive the deserved recognition through the organization, including Cooper himself. In the 29 years in existence, there have been just four District 2 Assistant Coaches of the Year come from West Virginia, and of those four, three hailed from the Eastern Panhandle. The late Bruce Davidson, who spent time with Jefferson as an assistant before taking over the Washington program, earned the honor in 2000, and Cooper was recognized in 2010. The most recent awardee was Ken Cross, an assistant at Jefferson, in 2015. The other awardee in the state was George Brumfield of Cabell Midland.

How are Indian Organisations Coping up With Cybersecurity Threats

Most organisations, and certainly the more mature ones, had a Business Continuity Plan (BCP) or an IT DR strategy in place. However, most, if not all, did not consider a crisis like this pandemic. This pandemic has forced us all to turn en masse to virtual alternatives. This meant that many had to open their organizational networks and resources to unsecured and unrecognized endpoint devices thereby expanding the threat landscape.

In addition, the uncertainty around COVID-19 has also caused stress among people affecting their morale. The anxiety and fear in people makes them vulnerable to cyber attacks more than ever. Hackers have begun to take the advantage of the anxiety by unleashing computer science engineering phishing attacks.

In India, we’ve had the Maze Ransomware attack on one of the largest IT services firms recently as well as the hack of the video and collaboration tool that many firms jumped to leverage in the absence of a thoroughly tested alternative. This tool exposed data of several organisations to hackers.

The pandemic also presents an interesting dichotomy between the rise of cyber-attacks and business priorities. Most organizations had very little time to prepare and hence focused on ensuring continuity of business, supply chain constraints, et cetera which meant that security took a back seat. This translated into an opportune time for the hacker community to increase their activity.

lockdown hits new civil engineering projects

Project starts in civil engineering fell by 34% in April, compared to the same period last year, according to new figures released by construction industry analyst Glenigan. Civil engineering fared better than the residential market where Glenigan recorded a 40% drop last month compared to 2019, while the non-residential sector also saw a 34% fall in new starts.

“The number and value of new projects starting on site has fallen sharply since the lockdown came into force at the end of March and continued throughout April,” said Glenigan economic analyst Rhys Gadsby.

“Civil engineering starts were down 10% on the preceding three months on a seasonally adjusted basis and were 34% lower than a year ago. This fall was led by a sharp drop in infrastructure starts, which were 52% down on a year ago and 34% lower than the preceding three months on a seasonally adjusted basis. In contrast the value of utilities starts was 47% up on the preceding three months on a seasonally adjusted basis and 13% higher than a year ago.

“Residential starts declined the most during the three months to April against the previous year, with private residential starts taking the biggest hit. Private housing project starts fell 43% against the previous year, and by 29% compared with the preceding three months on a seasonally adjusted basis. Social housing starts dropped 32% against the previous year, however strongly improved on the previous three months on a seasonally adjusted basis, with a rise of 30%.”

“Non-residential projects fell against the preceding three months on a seasonally adjusted basis and against a year ago, falling by 21% and 34% respectively. Industrial project starts contributed to this decline dropping by 42% on a year ago and by 31% on against the preceding three months on a seasonally adjusted basis. Retail starts also saw a dramatic decline, with starts down 42% on the previous year, and by 7% on the preceding three months computer engineering careers.

Online Engineering Classes: NPTEL comes up with online courses for science students- Check course list here

Ministry of Human Resources Development, MHRD has urged the science students to take up the online engineering classes organized by NPTEL. The courses are organized by NPTEL and the curriculum is released by NPTEL on the official website. The students of science stream only are eligible to take up the courses.

The students are advised by the HRD ministry to utilize their lockdown time and attend the courses that are online. The students can choose from various disciplines, content types and course offering institutions of their choice. The courses are available on jobs with a computer science degree.

Listed below is the process of downloading the material and the direct link to courses sheet

Networking tips for those who really don't like networking

 I know networking is important but I’ve never really liked it, and now during the pandemic it seems even harder. What should I do?

Johan, 42, operations director

A: Redefine “networking” to “connecting,” enhancing existing relationships and forming new ones.

This isn’t merely semantics. Words express our feelings and for many people, the very term “networking” carries baggage.

See for yourself: What emotions arise when you think about making networking outreaches on the phone, via e-mail, or at professional events? Based on your question, I’m thinking anxiety, boredom, or dread come to mind. You may fear rejection or feel like you’re imposing. That’s because networking has acquired a transactional vibe that it doesn’t necessarily deserve. The essence of networking is to meet others and share your stories.

Particularly when you are not in job transition or have a specific need, networking is about connecting to others, sharing information between you, and setting both of you up for more success. It’s not “what can you do for me now.”

Perhaps you don’t manage networking conversations well, or your meetings just don’t seem productive. As with any meeting, a better outcome is achieved when you go in prepared. This is where the 20-Minute Networking Meeting books, written by Marcia Ballinger with Nathan Perez, can help you.

The first lesson is right there in the title. Networking meetings can — and should — be brief. Twenty minutes is a respectful and energizing amount of time. Go in organized, using Ballinger’s framework to get you started. There is one aspect that I found particularly valuable for preparing for almost any situation: the five questions. With this approach, you will spend time preparing three questions tailored to the person you are speaking with. Follow this with “can you recommend someone else should I speak with?” and “how can I help you?”

You can prepare this way for any situation. Imagine attending a conference difference between computer science and computer engineering. Know your three questions in case you meet someone from a company you are interested in or who is in a role you’re intrigued by. You will be prepared and will also make a good impression.

This works well for networking with folks within your company, too. If you are having a virtual coffee get-together, it will give you conversation fodder that encourages professional connections to form. It’s good for you and for your company. Now let’s go back to concerns about reaching out. In the best of times, people like to help others, and it’s flattering to be approached. Sure, some people may not be responsive, but they’re a minority.

In my experience, this is even more true now. People feel isolated, working from home in many cases and socially distanced from people around them. There’s a human aspect of connecting now that is even more needed.

You will notice this when you connect with people from your past. You will find that an invitation like, “I’m taking time to reach out to old friends and colleagues” and asking for 20 minutes will be appreciated. Finally, pay it forward. Say yes when you are approached and help when you can, completing the networking circle.