SHPE - Winter 2009 - (Page 56)

REGIONAL ROUNDUP Armadillo RV community. The Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce performed the ribbon cutting ceremony, and the event was televised by Austin News 8 and Univision. The learning center has been one of the most rewarding events because it satisfies a need in the community and teaches children who will become tomorrow’s engineers. Submitted by Karen Siles Professional Chapter President SHPE-UPRM was recognized as Region IV’s Outstanding Large Chapter. the hard work and passion of our members. Also, for the first time, 10 SHPE Jr. members from Puerto Rico participated in the AHETEMS Pre-College Symposia. This demonstrates our commitment to promote the STEM fields across Puerto Rico. Get ready for the Regional Science Bowl, Go Kart Madness and the Puerto Rico Leadership Conference that SHPE-UPRM will be bringing during the spring! Submitted by Wilhelrm Denizard-Ramsamy Student Chapter Communication Vice President sor, for planning our trip to Sedona, Arizona. We had a great time! Thanks to continuous recruiting, we have achieved significant growth over previous years. Furthermore, our technical and professional lectures are now happening on a regular basis, and our spring lectures are already filled. Other spring semester plans include starting a SHPE Jr. chapter and joining with other minority organizations like NSBE and AISES to expand our activities and better promote our mission. Submitted by Alfredo Sampayo Student Chapter President Tulsa Professional Chapter One of our goals is to build relationships with local student chapters. Last year, SHPE-UTulsa experienced impressive growth in membership as well as in community activities, board meetings and student meetings. The chapter has been revived by a group of young and enthusiastic students led by Alfredo Sampayo. Among many new initiatives, a mentoring program with SHPE-Tulsa has been established so that professionals can engage in various student chapter activities. Members Chriss Chavez, Humberto Barreda and Jesus Sanchez spoke at various student meetings and community activities. Professional members also supported SHPE-UTulsa’s efforts to find corporate sponsors for its activities. Student and professional members have benefitted from this new mentoring initiative. Submitted by Humberto Barreda, Professional Chapter President, and Jesus Sanchez University of Texas at Austin This year’s SHPE Conference offered much insight into the professional world of engineering and the numerous opportunities for advancement within each field. SHPE-UT Austin members definitely took advantage of this exposure to leading engineering companies. Our participation increased by about 10 percent over last year, as our organization continues to grow and prosper. A couple of new socials were added to this year’s agenda as well as community projects in order to keep our members busy all year long. Our Haunted House social offered plenty of fun and scares. Volunteering at the Austin Food Bank and collecting toys for kids revived our spirit of giving just in time for the holidays. Ready to convey the dedication of our organization, we eagerly await hosting this year’s RLDC. Submitted by Magdalena Rodriguez Student Chapter Journalist REGION V Alabama ❚ Arkansas ❚ Louisiana ❚ Mississippi ❚ Oklahoma ❚ Tennessee ❚ Texas Austin Professional Chapter University of Tulsa The University of Texas at Arlington SHPE-Austin celebrates the opening of a local learning center. During the fall, we not only attended the 2008 SHPE Conference but also held professional development and community service events. For “Un café con un Ejecutivo,” we had breakfast with a panel of three executives: Alejandro Badia (IBM Director, STG Power Systems), Ingrid Moulckers (IBM STSM Software Group) and Rudy Rivera (President of RJ Rivera Associates Inc.). They shared their life experiences and accomplishments as well as advised the 30 members who attended the program at the IBM facility. We also celebrated the inauguration of the SHPE Austin Learning Center, providing four computers and two printers to the 56 SHPE-UTulsa conference attendees returned with great motivation. SHPE-UTulsa continues with a solid determination to obtain national recognition. After many struggles, the chapter took seven members to the SHPE Conference. Achieving this goal was quite an accomplishment for our chapter, and those that attended returned with plenty of motivation to continue our hard work. We also would like to thank Dr. J.C. Diaz, our advi- This year SHPE-UTA started the Build My Schedule (BMS) workshop, where upperclassmen assist underclassmen in planning which courses and professors to take in their degree programs. It is also part of the Manitos/Manitas program, our successful mentoring initiative to improve academic excellence and increase membership. Before Christmas, we also held a canned food drive to benefit Mission Arlington. We are eager to start our spring events, including another installment of our new Build My Schedule workshop. Submitted by Rosemary Estrada Student Chapter Secretary University of Houston SHPE-UH is proud to guide young minorities through a variety of programs. SHPE ❘ Winter 2009

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of SHPE - Winter 2009

SHPE - Winter 2009 Contents President's Letter Browser Calendar Professional Chapter Leaders - Providing the Right Resources at the Right Time Closing the Expectation Gap - Summit Addresses ‘Diploma to Nowhere’ Conference 2008 A Career Building Diversity in Engineering Education Graduate STEM Degrees Extend Technical Reach Programs & Services Inner Circle Employer Profile Regional Roundup Annual Report Advertisers Index

SHPE - Winter 2009

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