Board of Director’s Meeting - PSPE 2008.pdf · that you do something to give back to the...
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VALLEY FORGE CHAPTER PENNSYLVANIA SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS P.O. BOX 585 WORCESTER, PA 19490-0585 NATIONAL SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS THE COMPASS Volume 42, Number 7 – March 2008 (Read the COMPASS on-line at www.pspe-vfc.org ) PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE By Tony Dougherty, P.E., VFC President The theme of this month’s article is the future of the engineering profession. By future, I mean the children who are currently or soon to be contemplating a future in engineering. It is incumbent upon us as leaders in our industries and licensed professionals to encourage these students to apply their math and science skills and pursue a career in the greatest profession in the world. This time of year is a great time to achieve these goals. Just recently we had the Future Cities Competition in which the Valley Forge Chapter presented an award for Most Creative City (See the article is last month’s Compass). Last month the Valley Forge Chapter and Bucks Chapter held our annual MATHCOUNTS Competition. The event went spectacularly and I would like to personally thank all of our volunteers and especially our MATHCOUNTS Coordinator, Karen O’Connell, P.E., for doing a fantastic job as always. Look for an article next month recapping this great event. Then in early April, members of the Valley Forge Chapter will judge the engineering projects at the Delaware Valley Science Fair for our “Promise of Future Engineering Excellence” award. One award will be given for each grade level competing in the competition. A summary of this event will be included in next month’s compass as well. You may remember that last month’s article was about Engineer’s Week. I had the pleasure of attending the closing banquet dinner and the keynote speaker had a great quote in his presentation. The quote was: "Scientists discover the world that exists; engineers create the world that never was." - Aerospace engineer Theodore von Karman. For the world to continue to advance, we need to make sure that our best and brightest are encouraged to pursue their dreams. This means that all of us need to do our parts in teaching the “young-uns” what engineering is all about. You can do this by volunteering for one of the events above or any of the other opportunities available. You can do a career day at a local school or a formal mentorship program. There are a variety of choices that may suit your personal taste. I just ask that you do something to give back to the profession. Thanks and see you next month! EVENTS SCHEDULE April 1, 2008 Board of Directors Meeting, Location: BCM Engineers, Plymouth, 6:00 PM. NO FOOLING!! April 2, 2008 Delaware Valley Science Fair to be held at the Valley Forge Convention Center. We are still in need of one more judge. If you are interested please
Transcript of Board of Director’s Meeting - PSPE 2008.pdf · that you do something to give back to the...
VALLEY FORGE CHAPTER
PENNSYLVANIA SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS P.O. BOX 585 WORCESTER, PA 19490-0585
NATIONAL SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS
THE COMPASS Volume 42, Number 7 – March 2008
(Read the COMPASS on-line at www.pspe-vfc.org)
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE By Tony Dougherty, P.E., VFC President The theme of this month’s article is the future of the engineering profession. By future, I mean the children who are currently or soon to be contemplating a future in engineering. It is incumbent upon us as leaders in our industries and licensed professionals to encourage these students to apply their math and science skills and pursue a career in the greatest profession in the world. This time of year is a great time to achieve these goals. Just recently we had the Future Cities Competition in which the Valley Forge Chapter presented an award for Most Creative City (See the article is last month’s Compass). Last month the Valley Forge Chapter and Bucks Chapter held our annual MATHCOUNTS Competition. The event went spectacularly and I would like to personally thank all of our volunteers and especially our MATHCOUNTS Coordinator, Karen O’Connell, P.E., for doing a fantastic job as always. Look for an article next month recapping this great event. Then in early April, members of the Valley Forge Chapter will judge the engineering projects at the Delaware Valley Science Fair for our “Promise of Future Engineering Excellence” award. One award will be given for each grade level competing in the competition. A summary of this event will be included in next month’s compass as well.
You may remember that last month’s article was about Engineer’s Week. I had the pleasure of attending the closing banquet dinner and the keynote speaker had a great quote in his presentation. The quote was: "Scientists discover the world that exists; engineers create the world that never was." - Aerospace engineer Theodore von Karman. For the world to continue to advance, we need to make sure that our best and brightest are encouraged to pursue their dreams. This means that all of us need to do our parts in teaching the “young-uns” what engineering is all about. You can do this by volunteering for one of the events above or any of the other opportunities available. You can do a career day at a local school or a formal mentorship program. There are a variety of choices that may suit your personal taste. I just ask that you do something to give back to the profession.
Thanks and see you next month!
EVENTS SCHEDULE April 1, 2008 Board of Directors Meeting, Location: BCM Engineers, Plymouth, 6:00
PM. NO FOOLING!! April 2, 2008 Delaware Valley Science Fair to be held at the Valley Forge Convention
Center. We are still in need of one more judge. If you are interested please
contact Tony Dougherty at [email protected] or 610-326-3100. April 22, 2008 Monthly Membership Meeting and Past Presidents Dinner, Nor East
Mapping will provide an interesting presentation about aerial mapping. The event will be held at Taylor’s at the Olde Mill. Since the meeting will be sponsored by our speakers, the cost will only be $10.00 per person! RSVP to Gwen Himes at [email protected] or 610-326-3100.
May 6, 2008 Board of Directors Meeting, Location: TBD, 6:00 PM. May, 2008 MONTHLY MEMBERSHIP MEETING AND FINAL MEETING OF
THE YEAR!! The meeting will include the installation of next year’s board members and an interesting technical presentation. Details to Follow.
Visit the VFC PSPE website (www.pspe-vfc.org) often for updates on upcoming events. PICTURE OF THE MONTH
Design Vehicle?? Proving that traffic engineers cannot design for every situation! Some people just have no sense. Photo submitted by VFC Treasurer, Kurt Leininger, P.E.
2007-08 Chapter Officers and Board of Directors
President Anthony Dougherty, PE 2500 E. High St., Ste 650, Pottstown, PA 19464 610-326-3100 [email protected]
President-Elect Keith Bergman, PE 1600 Manor Dr., Ste 200, Chalfont, PA 18914 215-996-9100 [email protected] Vice President Jim Thompson, PE 3174 Mayflower Road, Plymouth Meeting, PA 610-639-8990 [email protected]
Treasurer Kurt Leininger, PE 920 Germantown Pike, Plymouth Meeting, PA 610-313-3100 [email protected]
Secretary Lindsay Musselman, EIT PO Box 4, WP20-206, West Point, PA 19401 215-652-6649 [email protected]
State Director Paul Dugan, PE 303 Valley Hunt Dr., Phoenixville, PA 19460 610-220-3820 [email protected] Past-President Paul Dugan, PE 303 Valley Hunt Dr., Phoenixville, PA 19460 610-220-3820 [email protected] Chapter Director Karen O’Connell, PE 425 Commerce Dr, Ft Washington, PA 19034 215-283-9444 [email protected] Chapter Director Mike Fischer, EIT 303 Valley Hunt Dr., Phoenixville, PA 19460 215-205-2130 [email protected]
Chapter Director Anthony Handley, EIT 303 Valley Hunt Dr., Phoenixville, PA 19460 610-585-5889 [email protected]
Chapter Director Vacant Chapter Director Kristin Norwood, PE 2500 E. High St., Ste 650, Pottstown, PA 19464 610-326-3100 [email protected]
Chapter Director Anthony Aievoli, PE 318 Winding Way, King of Prussia, PA 19406 610-272-0165 [email protected]
SE Region PSPE Vice President Frank Stanton, PE 50 Fir Drive, Richboro PA 18954 215-497-1231 [email protected]
2007-08 VFC Committees
Committee Primary Contact Secondary Contact Audit Frank Stanton, PE Jim Thompson, PE Awards Lindsay Musselman, EIT Kristin Norwood, PE By-Laws Kurt Leininger, PE Lindsay Musselman, EIT Engineers Week Anthony Aievoli, PE Vacant Ethics Paul Dugan, PE Mike Fischer, EIT Legislative/Gov’t Paul Dugan, PE Tony Dougherty, PE Mathcounts Karen O’Connell, PE Keith Bergman, PE Membership Lindsay Musselman, EIT Mike Fischer, EIT Nominating Paul Dugan, PE Keith Bergman, PE Programs Tony Dougherty, PE Jim Thompson, PE Publications Kristin Norwood, PE Anthony Handley, EIT Scholarship Lindsay Musselman, EIT Karen O’Connell, PE Science Fair Tony Dougherty, PE Jim Thompson, PE VFC Website Mike Fischer, EIT Anthony Handley, EIT Practice Division Contact Professional Engineers in Private Practice (PEPP) Paul Dugan, PE Professional Engineers in Construction (PEC) Keith Bergman, PE Professional Engineers in Government (PEG) Paul Dugan, PE Professional Engineers in Industry (PEI) Lindsay Musselman, EIT Professional Engineers in Education (PEE) Kurt Leininger, PE (Note – The above committee positions were determined by those who attended the Board of Director’s Summer Planning Meeting.)
“GETTING TO KNOW YOU” By Tony Dougherty, P.E., VFC President This month, Mike Fischer! Without further ado, here are the results:
Mike Fischer, EIT Fischer as Joe Pa
The Compass (TC): So, who are you? Mike Fischer, EIT TC: Where do you or did you work? Millennium Engineering, P.C., office located in Phoenixville TC: How long of have you worked there or been in business? Since May 2003, so almost five years TC: What do you do there? I perform consulting engineering services for the wireless industry, with the majority of my work being done for Verizon Wireless. This includes a variety of design and regulatory work, including expert witness testimony for municipal hearings. TC: Any work accomplishments you would like to speak of? I wouldn’t say it’s necessarily a work accomplishment, but I was on the cover of the PE Reporter last year. TC: Are there other notable employers in your career? I’ve only had one employer since graduating college, but I completed a co-op at Lockheed Martin in college. TC: What is your educational background? I have a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Widener University. TC: What licenses do you have? I am currently an EIT and am sitting for the PE exam in October. TC: How long have you been in PSPE? About four years. TC: Tell us about your family.
I have a beautiful girlfriend, Katie, Mark and Marilyn are my parents, and Mark (28), Matt (22) and Chris (16) are my three brothers. TC: What are your hobbies? I am a devoted Philadelphia sports fan and love playing golf and going to the beach. I also play the guitar, watch countless hours of TV and drink heavily (just kidding). TC: What is your favorite quote? “You miss 100 percent of the shots you never take.” –Wayne Gretzky TC: What is your favorite equation? a2 + b2 = c2 ….Pythagoras was a distant cousin TC: What is your favorite book? Can’t really say I have a favorite since I’m not a big reader, but I do enjoy the works of Chuck Klosterman. TC: What or who inspired you to get into engineering? No one really. I was just good at math, so I figured I’d give it a try, and it ended up panning out for me. Thanks Mike for participating!!! Reading, Writing ... and Engineering by Anne Marie Chaker, Wall Street Journal, P. D1; March 13, 2008
A growing number of schools are adding engineering to the curriculum to address concerns that American students are falling behind foreign competition in math and science. There has been a decline in the number of Americans interested in engineering, with 62 percent of engineering doctoral degrees awarded to foreign nationals in 2006. Many corporations, including Intel, have provided funding for engineering programs, such as the Engineering is Elementary program that is used at Odyssey Elementary School in Colorado. Over 2,200 middle and high schools are offering engineering courses with support from the non-profit group Project Lead the Way. Some states, including Massachusetts and New Jersey, have already added some engineering content to state education requirements. The Department of Education has plans to integrate engineering concepts into federal assessments as early as 2009. While many of the high school courses involve using computers and engineering software, the Engineering is Elementary program consists of 14 units that touch upon the fields of engineering. The units are introduced to the students through stories, such as the story of a girl who tries to create a better place for her pet turtle to live, which introduces the environmental engineering section. In order for an elementary school to purchase materials for each student, it would cost approximately $6,000. However, a program can be started for as little as $40, which provides teacher's with lesson plans and one storybook to be read to the students. These programs have helped increase student interest in engineering. A survey of 100 high-school seniors who completed an engineering curriculum showed that 52 percent were interested in majoring in engineering in college. Click Here to Read the Full Story
Study Finds Sharp Math, Science Skills Help Expand Economy by Sara Murray, Wall Street Journal, P. A2; March 3, 2008
Raising U.S. students' math and science skills to the level of the world's leaders would increase the gross domestic product by about two-thirds of a percentage point, concludes an Education Next study. Stanford University professor and study co-author Eric Hanushek says studies that tie economic growth to the number of years of education are faulty because a year of schooling in some countries is not equal to what a student in the United States learns. The National Governors Association made a similar call about two decades ago, estimating that sharply improving math and science skills by 2000 would have boosted GDP two percentage points today and 4.5 percentage points by 2015. "Had we figured out some way to improve our schools, or do what we could to improve the learning of our students, we would be a lot better off today," Hanushek says. Although states develop their own curriculum, math is more likely to be standardized than science. Some observers believe student performance can be improved by creating national standards for math and science, but add that classes should not be based on passing a test. Click Here to Read the Full Story
Survey Says: U.S. Engineering Education is Pretty Good
by Judd Aschenbrand, Design News, March 5, 2008
A survey conducted by "Design News" in January found that the quality of the engineering programs at the nation's colleges and universities is quite good. The survey included two groups: students who are currently enrolled in engineering programs, and recent engineering graduates who are currently working in the field. The 85 students who were surveyed generally felt that the engineering programs they were in were helping them to become well-prepared for future careers in the field. However, the 62 engineers who were surveyed generally said that while the engineering programs they were in helped them to be prepared in some areas, there were some areas that they were not prepared in. For instance, most of the graduates said their education gave them problem-solving skills and opportunities to learn about engineering in a hands-on basis. But graduates also said that some of the classes they were in were too theoretical and not as thorough with the problem-solving insights that are needed to work in engineering. Some graduates also said that the university they graduated from used outdated technologies. Click Here to Read the Full Story
VALLEY FORGE CHAPTER
PENNSYLVANIA SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS P.O. BOX 585 WORCESTER, PA 19490-0585
NATIONAL SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS Page 1 of 2
BOARD OF DIRECTORS' MEETING MINUTES Meeting Date
March 4, 2008 Those in Attendance: Tony Dougherty, P.E. Lindsay Musselman, E.I.T.
Kurt Leininger, P.E. Kristin Norwood, P.E. Dan Humes, E.I.T. (guest) Chad Camburn, P.E. (guest)
Meeting Called to Order 6:15 PM
Minutes from Previous Meeting
Accepted. Reports of Officers President’s report:
Attended Engineer's Week Banquet closing at Drexel. Good event and attendance. Mathcounts – Karen did a great job; event was successful.
President-Elect’s report:
Not present.
Vice President’s report: Not present.
Secretary’s Report:
Nothing to report. Treasurer's report:
Deposit slip from last dinner meeting received. Refund sent to Bursich for one non-attendee. ~$3700 current. William Penn Inn for banquet to be paid; pay up font, reimbursement from state.
State Director’s Report:
Not present. SE Regional VP:
Not present. Committee Reports:
Communications Compass: Distribution by the middle of the month. Member spotlight: Fischer. Notifications: Email to be sent this week. Webmaster: Links were fixed. Proclamation added.
MathCounts Article for Compass needed.
Membership:
1 delinquent/non-paid; 0 new.
NATIONAL SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS Page 2 of 2
Programs: February 20: Dr. Traver & Dr. Brown, Villanova University professors on Stormwater Best Management Practices.
Went well; good attendance. March 18: Mathcounts Banquet. Possibly Elmwood Zoo. William Penn Inn. April 22: Nor-East Mapping. Past-Presidents' meeting. $500 set cost, charge $5 per person for dinner. Taylor's at the
Olde Mill. Musselman to reserve. May: TBD (technical) Other suggestions:
o Political Speaker o Rt 202 or Turnpike Projects o Non-technical Fun Gathering o Cayuga Pipe Tour o PennDOT o Helicopters
o "Millionaire Next Door" Financial o 4-H Clubs o Lockheed Martin o MontCo Infrastructure o Electrical Heat Tracing (Tyco Thermal Controls)
Unfinished Business:
Board of Director replacement nominees for vacant position. Dan Humes, Robert Blue Chad Camburn, Bursich
~10 gift mugs remaining which will last into next year. Crestline suggested as vendor for new speaker gifts. To be decided at a later date.
PSPE Awards Engineer of the Year – Nominated Hnatiuk, submitted by Dugan Chapter Communications Award – Nominated VFC, submitted by Dougherty. Outstanding Program Award – Nominated VFC, submitted by Dougherty.
Nominating Committee for 08-09 officers/directors Recommend slate for next board meeting
Plaque for Immediate Past-President (Paul Dugan) $75 +tax; Norwood to order. Present at April meeting.
New Business:
Delaware Valley Science Fair – April 2, Valley Forge Convention Center. Dougherty, Thompson, and Hnatiuk to judge. Dougherty to purchase award gift cards – 6 x $25
Scholarship Program with Drexel & Temple Received email from Fred Plotnick, Philadelphia PSPE Willing to help set up scholarship, chapter would need to donate money (~$500) for university to match it
(~$5000) Contribution to Sandy Run Robotics – No PA One Call Sponsorship – No
Adjournment:
7:15 PM Next meeting April 1, 6pm, location BCM.
VALLEY FORGE CHAPTER
PENNSYLVANIA SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS P.O. BOX 585 WORCESTER, PA 19490-0585
NATIONAL SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS
VALLEY FORGE CHAPTER
PENNSYLVANIA SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS P.O. BOX 585 WORCESTER, PA 19490-0585
NATIONAL SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS
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