NSBE Magazine - Fall 2011 - (Page 24)

InternAtIonAl NEWS From campus to corporation, with NSBE B y F e l i x N o b l e A b u , M e m b e r, N S B E A c c r a A l u m n i E x t e n s i o n C h a p t e r he decision to join NSBE as a freshman in 2005 was one of the best choices I made during my four-year stay at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Ghana. After a memorable encounter with the NSBE national officers and executives who visited KNUST that year, Felix Noble abu I developed the desire to be a member of the organization, to help “increase the number of culturally responsible black engineers” who “positively impact the community” in Ghana and Africa as a whole. As I pursued my undergraduate degree in electrical/electronics engineering, my active participation in NSBE–KNUST activities on campus saw me taking part in a number of programs, including the Academic Quiz Bowl, career fairs and T from all cultures and backgrounds. The team of engineers I worked with consisted of people from Taiwan, Bangladesh, India, the U.S. and Mexico. The internship exposed me to professional engineering techniques and procedures and gave me an understanding of the international business environment. While in Texas, I also used the opportunity to attend a Membership Extravaganza Session of the NSBE–Houston Alumni Extension Chapter. It was a joy to see former NSBE collegiate members come together after graduating to live NSBE’s mission. I got many ideas from them and planned to take most of those ideas back to Ghana. BacK iN GHaNa After returning to the KNUST campus, I chaired the NSBE Career Fair Committee to organize one of the most successful career fairs on campus that year: More than 100 students acquired internships or jobs with employers in Ghana. I also took part in seminars and workshops to share my Texas experience with collegiate members and junior members of NSBE in the local high school. After graduating in 2009, I became an ambassador from Ghana in NSBE’s International Committee and helped register “NSBE…brings together black engineers from all parts of the world and encourages them to reach greater heights.” Pre-College Initiative programs, and serving as a member of many committees in the Society. In September 2008, I was selected to take part in the first-ever GE/NSBE–KNUST international internship program, as an intern with GE in Houston, Texas. The program was headed by the African American Forum of GE. a team from the University of Cape Coast (UCC) Chapter in Ghana at the 2010 Consulting Design Olympiad. The CDO paired a team from the University of Toronto with the UCC team, and the partners emerged as winners of the competition at the 2010 Annual Convention, in Toronto. I am now an electrical engineer with Globacom Telecommunications, Ghana. I also work with other NSBE Alumni members to increase the membership of the Alumni chapters in Ghana and to encourage more participation in the activities of the chapters. What I find fascinating about NSBE is the professional manner in which it brings together black engineers from all parts of the world and encourages them to reach greater heights. My advice to up and coming engineers in Africa is to see every challenge around them as an opportunity to bring out the talent and knowledge they have acquired, and then break the limits of their environment to provide solutions to those challenges through innovation and creativity. It is by doing these things that we will realize that only the sky is the limit. ■ www.nsbe.org Ge exPerieNce In Houston, I worked with the Aero-Energy Services Division of GE Energy. Having learned so much engineering theory in the classroom, I was happy to have this first-ever hands-on experience in industry, in the manufacture of power turbines. My responsibilities included making a bill of materials (BOM) and AutoCAD layout drawings of the MicroNet chassis for the turbine control panel. Throughout the 10-week internship, I had great colleagues who offered me help whenever I needed it. My supervisor did a great job of mentoring me each step of the way. GE is a great place to work, and I had the opportunity to work with people 24 • nsbe magazine • fall 2011 http://www.nsbe.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NSBE Magazine - Fall 2011

NSBE Magazine - Fall 2011
Contents
The Next Level
Achievement Finds an Ally
Leadership, Your Way
The Programs Zone
Dr. Philicity Williams of the National Security Agency
Chapter News
Membership News
International News
NSBE Advisor Makes History
Pack Out Pittsburgh!
Empowered by Vision
Top Officers
St. Lucian Students Thrive at IIT
Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.
SEEKing Excitement for STEM
What’s New?
NSBE Calendar
The Professional’s Perspective
Shifting to Renewables for Electric Power
Alumni Officers
The Japan Effect
AE Members on the Move
Golden Torch Honoree
‘Brother Founder’ Donates $100K to NSBE
XL’ent!
Building Successful AE Chapters
Advertisers Index

NSBE Magazine - Fall 2011