SATURDAY, APRIL 1, 2006
9:00-10:00 AM
REGISTRATION, CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST Back To Top
10:00-10:15 AM
SPEAKER, Bernice Brody
Opening and Welcome Remarks
SWE national director of professional development, IBM Global Services Executive Project Manager
Bernice Brody is the SWE national director of professional development with responsibility for SWE's professional development programs, the
multicultural committee, the conference programming board, and women in
academia programs. A SWE member since 1990, Bernice has held various
section, regional and national positions, including president, treasurer, and section representative for Mid-Hudson section, chair of the Public Policy/Government Relations task force and director (now called governor)
of Region F.
Currently employed as an executive project manager with IBM Global Services centrally supporting worldwide web hosting programs and services for all of the IBM divisions, Bernice's first 19 years with IBM consisted of extensive manufacturing and development engineering assignments, including 12 years in engineering management positions, primarily in ceramic packaging and thin films technology. Bernice has a total of over 26 years of experience in manufacturing and development engineering, in engineering management, and in IT project management. As a PMI and IBM certified executive project manager, she works with a global virtual team from her home office, providing leadership in the areas of web hosting program management, web on demand transformation services strategy for IBM divisions, complex financial investment and planning, and works with the chief information offices to expand current services for the various IBM divisions at competitive costs.
10:15-10:45 AM
KEYNOTE SPEAKER, Ruth Horton
Creating a Climate for Sustainability Ms. Horton is a Program Manager with over 25 years experience managing energy-efficiency and transportation programs for New York State. Ms. Horton currently oversees alternative fuel deployment activities and market transformation programs for commercial/industrial customers for NYSERDA’s Energy Efficiency Services Program. These activities provide financial incentives and technical information to organizations interested in adopting electric drive and alternative fuel technologies for their fleets, and to businesses to encourage the distribution and use of energy efficient building technologies.
Ms. Horton is a member of the State’s Clean Fuel Vehicle Council which is working to make Governor Pataki’s pledge of a 100% clean state fleet a reality. She also is current President of the Board of the Transportation Energy Partnership, a not-for-profit national organization which strives to develop a robust and sustainable market for alternative transportation fuels, clean and efficient vehicles, and advanced transportation technologies across the country.
Ms Horton holds a degree in Psychology from the State University of New York at Albany and has spent most of her career surrounded by engineers.
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BREAK
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11:00-12:30 PM
FIRST SESSION
A. Strategic Planning (Trish Adamo) "Where do you want your section/region to be in one year? In two years? Four? Introduce your executive council to the big picture and the strategic planning process. Includes information on the new SWE National Strategic Plan." Mary-Patricia (Trish) Adamo received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Tufts University. Trish is currently the engineering manager at Learning Technologies, Inc. (LTI) in Somerville, Massachusetts. LTI is a manufacturer of astronomy learning tools, including a portable planetarium system sold to schools and museums all over the world. A member of the Boston section of the Society of Women Engineers, she served as co-membership chairperson for 3 years, co-chair of the Nominating Committee, treasurer, and is currently a section representative. She is the Section Leadership Coach for Region F. For 4 years at RAND Worldwide, she was the Regional Training Manager, managing CAD training services for 14 offices with 12 trainers on the east coast of North America. Prior to RAND, Trish was employed for 4 years by Converse, Inc. as the Advanced Products Engineer and holds 3 patents with that company." B. Creating More Effective Graphs (Naomi B. Robbins) This workshop describes how to draw clear, concise, accurate graphs that are easier to understand than many of the graphs one sees today. It also helps readers of graphs to read more critically and analytically so that they are not misled if they see graphs that are not properly drawn. The talk emphasizes common mistakes users of software such as Excel often make that produce confusing or even misleading graphs and how to avoid these mistakes. Examples come from a variety of fields including engineering. Graphs for one, two, three, and many variables are covered as well as general principles for creating effective graphs. Since the choice of scales has a profound effect on our interpretation of graphs, we include a discussion of scales including whether zero must be included and when to use logarithmic scales. No statistical background is required.
Naomi B. Robbins is a consultant and seminar leader who specializes in the graphical display of data. She reviews documents and presentations for clients, suggesting improvements or alternative presentations as appropriate. She is the author of Creating More Effective Graphs, published by John Wiley (2005). She holds degrees in mathematics from Bryn Mawr College and Cornell University, and a Ph.D. in mathematical statistics from Columbia University. She is an officer of the Statistical Graphics Section of the American Statistical Association. Dr. Robbins had a long career at Bell Laboratories before forming NBR, her consulting practice.
C. Alternative Fuel Vehicles (Barry Carr)
This presentation will provide and overview of Alternative Fueled Vehicles (AFVs); it will include electric, biofuels, natural gas, hybrid, and fuel cell vehicles, both current and future models. This is a rapidly changing field; and it is often difficult to separate fact from fiction. The recently enacted Energy Bill of 2005 offers many opportunities for developers and users of AFVs; as well as the necessary infrastructure to support them. We will cover the economics of AFVs, and how they will fit into fleets of the future.
Homeland Energy Resources currently manages two projects in New York State, the cold weather testing of Honda’s FCX fuel cell vehicle, and a dedicated hydrogen refueling station, both projects based in Albany, New York. We will review and discuss these projects, and their significance to the environment and economy of New York State.
Barry Carr has been a part of the Alternative Fueled Vehicle market for the past 17 years. Mr. Carr has provided prototyping, testing, design, marketing, and sales for a variety of public and private entities. He recently directed a program to place 7,000 AFVs in the Northeast US. Mr. Carr currently supports American Honda’s Alternative Fueled Vehicle department on the East Coast.
D. Smart Women are Rich Women (Helen Carroll, Gladys Zorn) As smart women you have the capacity to take control of your financial future by making intelligent money related decisions. Learn about what a benefits package has to offer from insurance to retirement plans. Get information about estate planning basis (wills and heath care proxies) different investment options such as stocks, bonds, and mutual funds. In addition, find out how to plan for retirement and protect your nest egg through 401k’s, IRA’s, and other savings plans. This financial information will empower you to be confident about taking care of yourself financially.
Helen Carroll received her formal education at St. Mary's College with a degree in Economics and Business Administration. Beginning her career at Household Finance, she then moved onto Troy Savings Bank where she served as Branch Manager for nine years, becoming Assistant Vice President with the takeover by First Niagara. Helen earned her CFP in 2002 and joined Jaeger & Flynn Associates as the Financial Services Department Manager in 2005.
Gladys Zorn received her formal education at Tennnessee Temple University. After teaching school for many years she embarked upon a new career path in the financial services sector. Upon joining Jaeger & Flynn Associates she earned her Securities Registered Representative designation, became a Registered Investment Advisor, and secured her Life & Health and Property & Casualty licensing. She became a Partner and Senior Vice President of Jaeger & Flynn Associates in 1998.
Both Gladys and Helen have many years of experience in personal and corporate financial planning.
E. GE Ecomagination (Christine Murner, Robin Cabanos)Ecomagination: GE's approach to addressing the needs of a changing world through innovation and advanced technologies.From compact fluorescent light bulbs to solar water purification and biofuel power for rural villages in developing countries to the largest hydro turbines in the world and advanced aircraft engines, how GE is committing to solve some of the world's most pressing challenges. This session will describe GE's ecomagination program, the history of "Imagination at Work", and focus on unique products and the customer case studies that demonstrate the environmental and business impact of these technologies at work.
Christine Murner is the Ecomagination Leader and Director of Agency Programs at GE’s Plastic Business in Pittsfield, MA. Christine received a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy NY (USA) and a Master of Business Administration from Wright State University in Dayton OH (USA). She served as an officer in the US Air Force directly after her university studies. Upon leaving the Air Force, Christine worked for Pfizer Pharmaceuticals and joined GE Plastics in 1992. She has held various technical marketing positions at GE Plastics throughout the US for the last 13 years. She has held Global roles for the last 3 years, focusing on Building & Construction Industry in China in ‘02/’03 and has been in her current role since Feb ’04.
Robin Cabanos Robin Cabanos joined GE Energy in 1996 as an Environment, Health, and Safety (EHS)
Specialist for Global Supply Chain Management in Schenectady, NY. Since that
time she has held various EHS roles of increasing responsibility, including EHS
Integration Leader for GE Panametrics, and most recently, Health & Safety Leader
for I&RS. In her current role, Robin is responsible for supporting environmental
performance in the areas of water compliance, spill-prevention, and Green House
Gas (GHG) emissions tracking and reduction for the I&RS business.
Robin holds a
BA from Ithaca College, and is a graduate of the Industrial Environmental
Management (IEM) Masters degree program at Yale University's School of Forestry
and Environmental Management.
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12:30-1:30 PM
NETWORKING LUNCH and CAREER FAIR Back To Top
12:30-2:30 PM
CAREER FAIR (all afternoon) Back To Top
2:30-3:30 PM
SECOND SESSION A. Collegiate Business Meeting (Sharmin Rahman) The collegiate business meeting will include brainstorming with other student members and a review of collegiate section business. The candidates for next year's Region F Collegiate Rep and Region F Newsletter Editor will also make short candidate speeches. Come prepared to share lessons learned--what does and doesn't work?--for student section membership, fundraising, outreach, and social activities. All collegiate section leaders and student members looking to improve their sections or get more involved in SWE should attend.
Sharmin Rahman is a student at RPI and the Region F Collegiate Representative, where she represents the students of New England SWE. She has been on RPI’s publicity committee and is currently publicity chair.
In Sharmin’s SWE roles, she hopes to build a better bridge of communication between the students and professionals.
B. Technical Leadership Skills (Nancy Greco) The challenge our technical leaders are faced with today, is how to leverage their technical expertise to drive change and innovation while collaborating with multinational teams and clients. This challenge requires more than just business acumen and technical know how. It requires skills that can build strong client relationships as well as strong confidant teams. By studying our most successful technical leaders, IBM has identified several key characteristics that distinguished these leaders. By breaking these characteristics down into skill based exercises, you can develop these same successful technical leader characteristics.
For client relationships, this session will share tips and techniques that can be used to build insight into a clients’ needs, how to build your cultural intelligence especially in a global market, and how to sustain a good relationship with your client. To build a strong team, techniques on how to cultivate collaboration and brainstorming will be shared, as well as how to build confidence in you, and your team. Whether you are in the workforce today, or about to enter it soon, these tips and techniques can assist in your growing your technical leadership abilities.
Nancy Greco, is a Distinguished Engineer in IBM, System and Technology Group. As a chemistry major she began her career with IBM in photolithography process development for integrated circuit manufacturing. In twenty four years, Nancy has held many engineering and management positions in IBM's semiconductor facilities, including the installation and qualification of IBMs new 300mm semiconductor facility . She has established her expertise in semiconductor processes and yield analysis, and holds over twenty filed patents .
She is currently on a job rotation assignment with IBM's Professional Development Learning organization, developing novel methods to increase employees' skill and knowledge level in a timely, effective manner to meet both IBM's business needs as well as the employees' career development needs. She has been an active facilitator in several workshops across business units , teaching client engagement techniques, business models , and ways to grow leadership skills, and is a dedicated mentor . Recent assignments have included working with IBM employees in Brazil, India, China and Russia helping to rapidly align technical and leadership skill capability with the hypergrowth business opportunities that exist in those countries .
As a member of the Society of Women engineers (SWE) , Nancy is involved in an international initiative where IBM , SWE and other organizations throughout the world, collaborate to share ideas and experiences with the goal of promoting , enabling and sustaining lucrative careers for women in science and engineering . Her focus is on how to bring the benefits to mentoring to as many women engineers as possible. She has recently designed, and is piloting a new IBM program utilizing podcasts to extend the reach of mentoring , worldwide.
C. Practical Forensic Science - Decipering "CSI" Fact vs. Fiction (Andrea Belec) The increasing popularity of such television series as CSI, Law and Order, Crossing Jordan and the multitude of others included in the “forensic” genre has brought unheard attention to the forensic and law enforcement industries. But is all this attention beneficial? This presentation will discuss the reality of the forensic industry versus the perception brought to you by the media (aka the CSI Effect). Who determines what that bag of powder really is? How impaired was that driver? How do scientists extract and interpret DNA? Was that check really forged? What happens in a courtroom? The many facets of forensic science will be defined and detailed along with the variety of career options available and the typical educational requirements for such positions.
A Long Island native, Andrea Belec is a graduate of Clarkson University and SUNY New Paltz with degrees in Analytical Chemistry and Technical Communication. Early in her career, she worked in the environmental and paper industries. In 1993, Andrea joined Zymark Corporation, in Hopkinton, Massachusetts. At Zymark, she worked in technical sales and support of laboratory automation and robotic systems in such roles as Technical Specialist, Regional Sales Representative and Forensic Marketing Manager. During her six year tenure, Zymark cultivated and encouraged her interest in Forensic Toxicology.
She later held positions such as Mass Spectrometry Marketing Manager with Perkin Elmer Biosystems and Liquid Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry Specialist with Micromass/Waters Corporation. In this role, she developed methods for the pharmaceutical, forensic and clinical arenas. After ten years in the Boston area, Andrea had a strong desire to relocate back to the Albany area. She spent eighteen months with Albany Molecular Research before taking her current position with the New York State Police. Andrea has presented at over a dozen international conferences and is an active member of the Society of Forensic Toxicologists and the Northeastern Association of Forensic Scientists. She resides in Loudonville, New York and enjoys skiing and cycling D. Organic Gardening (Bob Beyfuss) The term "Organic" means many different things to different people. This session will provide a definition and overview of "organic" as it is generally understood by most gardeners. Topics that will be discussed include maintaining soil fertility, managing pests organically, trap crops, biological controls, companion planting, organic fertilizers, beneficial insects and making and using compost.
Bob Beyfuss is the Agriculture and Natural Resources Program Leader for Cornell Cooperative Extension of Greene County. He is also the NY State specialist for American Ginseng Production for Cornell University Cooperative Extension. Bob received his bachelor's degree from Rutgers University in 1973, majoring in Botany and his Master's degree in Agriculture from Cornell University in 1987. He has been teaching Organic Gardening to Master Gardeners and other audiences for the past 25 years.
Bob is the author of "American Ginseng Production in NY State", "The Practical Guide to Growing Ginseng" (a 65 page grower’s guide), "Ginseng Production in Woodlots" "The Economics of Woodland Ginseng Production", (both published by the USDA National Agroforestry Center) “Growing Gourmet Mushrooms from A to Z” as well as several other facts sheets related to organic gardening topics.
E. Sustainable Design and Remanufacturing (Nabil Nasr) To meet the increasingly difficult environmental standards of today, a product needs to be analyzed throughout every step of its life-cycle from design to disposal. Designers are now beginning to focus on the environmental impacts a product have at all stages of its life-cycle.This presentation discusses the latest development in the sustainable design area and a key enabling technology; remanufacturing. Description and history of remanufacturing will be presented as well as highlights of industry practices.
Nabil Nasr is Assistant Provost for Academic Affairs and the Director of the Center for Integrated Manufacturing Studies at Rochester Institute of Technology. He is also the founding director of the National Center for Remanufacturing and Resource Recovery (NC3R), a unit of CIMS.
Dr. Nasr earned a BS in industrial engineering from Helwan University, an MS in industrial and systems engineering from Rutgers University, an M.Eng. in manufacturing engineering from Penn State University, and a Ph.D. in industrial and manufacturing engineering from Rutgers University.
Dr. Nasr joined RIT’s College of Engineering as an assistant professor in 1989. In 1996, he was named Earl W. Brinkman Professor. As a faculty member, he has received awards for outstanding teaching and outstanding student services. He has taught more than 15 courses in subjects related to manufacturing. Dr. Nasr has also taught several workshops for industry in manufacturing facility planning and design, production planning, factory automation, and numerical control. In 1997, Dr. Nasr founded the National Center for Remanufacturing and Resource Recovery. Dr. Nasr was named Director of CIMS in 2002.
For over 16 years Dr. Nasr has been a leader in the research and development efforts in environmentally benign manufacturing, remanufacturing, and sustainable design. He has developed strong ties to industry through efforts to implement and improve sustainable design processes at hundreds of companies from diverse sectors. Dr. Nasr is a renowned presenter in this field, has chaired a number of industry-wide conference sessions, and published numerous technical papers. He has served on several national task forces in this field and is a member of the National Academies National Research Council Manufacturing Board. He is also the Chairman of the Remanufacturing Industries Council and several industrial boards. Back To Top
3:40-3:40 PM
BREAK
3:40-4:40 PM
THIRD SESSION A. Increasing Annual Income (Fund Development) - Stephanie Zehler How does your section find the funds it needs? Explore new funding possibilities and use targeted messages aimed at the right resources. This workshop is geared toward collegiate sections and is recommended for any sections that struggle with fundraising.
Stephanie Zehler is an agricultural engineer working for the state of Vermont. She provides technical assistance to large and medium farmers regarding waste storage and water quality issues. She is a graduate of the University of Maine, where she served as SWE president. Ms. Zehler enjoys working with universities throughout New England on SWE vitality issues. B. The Truth about Effectiveness...Lessons from a Life & Business Coach (Lisa Giruzzi) Let’s face it, women are stress magnets – too many hats, too many demands, too little time. But what if you could spend your days not only feeling in control, but doing what you love to do? Traditional models for improving effectiveness usually offer some formula that can leave people feeling frustrated and disappointed. This workshop will explore a revolutionary approach to being effective. This is not a time management seminar – this is an opportunity to learn how to leverage your talents and strengths to gain control and create the experience of work you really want.
Using humor, real life lessons and Appreciative Inquiry, Lisa Giruzzi of Transformational Conversations has been a life and business coach since 1998 and has helped hundreds transform their lives, realize their goals and achieve more satisfaction and fulfillment. She has also designed and delivered seminars on various subjects including employee motivation, leadership and achieving personal mastery.
Further information is available at www.transformationalconversations.com
C. Earthquakes and Tsunamis (Michele Fitzpatrick) In December 2004, the world was reminded of the tremendous potential for devastation due to earthquakes and tsunamis. This session will investigate the natural Earth processes that lead to these events. Topics include plate tectonics, seismology, earthquake and tsunami causes, and specific details from the December 2004 and March 2005 Southeast Asia events.
Michele Fitzpatrick retired from the U.S. Coast Guard after 20 years of active service. After retiring, she spent three years as a Physics Instructor at the Coast Guard Academy. She is currently a doctoral candidate in geophysics at the University of Connecticut. In the first class of women to attend the USCG Academy, she received her bachelor’s degree in ocean engineering and a master’s degree in physics from the Naval Postgraduate School. Michele has been a member of the Society of Women Engineers for over 25 years and has served on its Board of Directors, including Vice President for Students. D. Making a Healthy Transition to Workplace and Community During this one-hour session, the panel of three engineers will share their experiences of transitioning into a new workplace. Their anecdotes will provide information that can help you make the transition into a new workplace and community as smooth as possible. Attendees will leave the session with a package of “workplace essentials”, tidbits of information that would make any transition easier.
Panelists include: Michelle Montepara, Sikorsky - A United Technologies Company; Debosmita Das, Plug Power, Kelly Chioujones, IBM
Michelle Montepara received a B. S. in Engineering Science from the newly accredited Picker Engineering Program at Smith College in 2005. She works as a materials engineer at Sikorsky Aircraft, a helicopter manufacturer, gaining a knowledge base in titanium, aluminum, and steels as well as dynamic component design. Michelle is also studying materials engineering as part of the dual MSE-MBA program between Purdue University and Indiana University's Kelley School of Business. She is currently Region F's Regional Collegiate Membership Coordinator and also assisting the creation of Fairfield University's SWE chapter. She recently moved into an apartment in her hometown. She enjoys interior design, working out at a local gym, scrapbooking, tennis and showing her new friends the benefits of living in the Northeast. Kelly Chioujones received a MS in Chemical Engineering from University of California San Diego in 2004. She first joined IBM as a Coop in packaging development in 2003. Following graduation, Kelly journeyed solo to New York taking a position as a Wets process engineer in IBM’s Microelectronic 300mm manufacturing facility. She continuously improves process yield, productivity and implements cost saving and process controls. The 300mm manufacturing line is a leading edge semiconductor manufacturing facility and supplies IBM high end chip requirements as well as chips for the major gaming console manufactures. Currently she is evaluating damage-free processing and improved cleaning strategies.
Growing up in San Diego, CA relocating to the New York has been one of her biggest life challenges. Kelly has found ways to deal with the tremendous pressure of managing a new job, new people and declaring her independence all at the same time. One year after her transition she has settled in, made new friends now enjoys going to Broadway Shows and tasting different kinds of ethnic food in New York City. She credits SWE and co-workers for her successful adjustment to life on the east coast.
Debosmita Das received her BSEE from Bombay University in 2001 and an MSEE from The Ohio State University in 2005. Since 2006 she has been with Plug Power Inc. in Albany, NY as a Power Electronics Engineer. She is responsible for developing advanced power electronics for a variety of fuel cell and other renewable energy based applications. Prior to joining Plug Power, she has held research and engineering based positions at Dolan Technology Centre of American Electric Power, Ohio and Siemens Ltd, India.
For the past two years Debosmita has been a member of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) and the Women in Engineering (WiE) program at the Ohio State University. She has worked as the graduate student associate of the Ohio State’s Women in Engineering program and has arranged several outreach events and workshops for women engineers. She was also been a part pf Ohio State’s graduate student recruitment committee and has represented Ohio State in the SWE national conference. She is also a member of the IEEE. She enjoys traveling, reading and watching movies.
E. Technology to change the world - Implement! (Jim Poss) We will examine the growth of the BigBelly™ solar-powered trash compactor, an innovative combination of well-established technologies. We will discuss the difference between technology development businesses in the clean energy sector and technology application. The business experience is profoundly different. We will focus on the latter, with the BigBelly trash compactor serving as an example of applying relatively off-the-shelf technologies to a renewable energy business development effort. Finally, we will examine the difference this has on the business development experience, and the potential results of your endeavors on the world.
Jim Poss, inventor of the BigBelly and founder of Seahorse Power Company, is President and CEO.
Jim brings over eight years of experience in renewable energy technology manufacturing and product development. In 1994, he developed his first clean energy concept, a 1/2 KW ocean-wave powered generator, funded by the Pew Foundation and tested at the Beaufort Marine Lab at Duke University. He continued his pursuit of clean energy technology at Solectria Corporation, providing drive systems for electric, hybrid-electric, solar-electric and fuel cell vehicles.
Subsequently, at Spire Corporation, a 30-year publicly traded solar energy company, Jim worked with top management to develop business plans and performance reports for Spire Solar Chicago and the overall Spire Solar division. He brings highly-relevant experience to the Company's current endeavors, and a history of innovative product development experience that will help carry the mission forward.
Jim holds BA degrees in Environmental Science / Policy and Geology from Duke University, and an MBA from Babson College.
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4:40-4:50 PM
BREAK
4:50-5:50 PM
FOURTH SESSION A. Event Planning (Cara Stepp) Does your section want to sponsor a banquet or Girl Scout event, but doesn't know where to start? Or do you burn out your volunteers every time you host an event? Find out how to plan events such as speaker dinners, Girl Scout badge workshops, and social gatherings. You will gain tips for event planning and hear lessons learned from other sections.
Cara Stepp is a recent graduate of the engineering program at Smith College. She is currently a Ph.D. student in Speech and Hearing Bioscience and Technology at Harvard-MIT, and is pleased to be a collegiate leadership coach in Region F.
B. Power Plays for Women (Juanita Ecker) Men and women play by a different set of rules to succeed in business. Men know the rules in business and women struggle to learn them. As women, we need to open our minds to how men think, act and win in the business world. If you want to level the playing field in the corporate world, you need to know how the game is played. Learn the rules and play their game. This session is for any woman that wants to projects power, confidence and competence.
Juanita Ecker, President of Professional Image Management, is a corporate image and etiquette consultant. As an international speaker and corporate trainer, Juanita is a recognized expert in the field of professional image and business etiquette. She has been a speaker at meetings and training conferences throughout the United States, Europe and Asia. She gave a seminar in China on how to do business with Americans. Her column, “Image Matters” is a regular feature in the Business Review. She has published articles in local and national publications, she has been featured on radio and television interviews, and is the author of the book, Image Management: Image & Etiquette Tips for the Business Professional.
C. New Orleans Levee Failures (Professor Tom Zimmie) Professor Tom Zimmie spent a week in New Orleans as part of an expert team investigating levee failures in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The team, which was funded by a special exploratory grant from the National Science Foundation, released their preliminary report Nov. 2 in a presentation to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Environmental Affairs.
“There is not one simple answer as to why the levees failed,” Zimmie said in a prepared statement. “Field observations indicated various causes: overtopping of the levees, erosion, failure in foundation soils underlying the levees, seepage through the soils under the levees causing piping failures, and this is not a complete list.”
Zimmie will discuss the New Orleans levee system and the levee failures with illustrations and photos.
Dr. Thomas F. Zimmie, Professor of Geotechnical Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, has been studying the vulnerability of levees to explosives, with emphasis on New Orleans. Dr. Zimmie is presently the acting chair of Civil and Environmental Engineering at RPI, and has been active in geotechnical research, education and practice for more than 40 years. He is the President and CEO of Civrotech Engineers, PC, a geotechnical consulting firm in the Capital District of NY, and has been a registered P.E. in NY and CT since 1966.
. He is the author of about 200 technical publications, and has served as the research advisor for more than 100 M.S. and Ph.D. students. He is active in many professional organizations including ASCE, TRB, ASTM, ISSMGE, ARTBA, ADSC, and AGU, has served on numerous national committees, and chaired committees in several of the above noted organizations. Dr. Zimmie served as Program Director of Geomechanics at NSF for two years, receiving an NSF Award of Merit. He also served a term as the President of the U.S. University Council on Geotechnical Education and Research (USUCGER), and served two terms on the executive board of ARTBA’s Research and Education Division.
He was elected an Emeritus Member of TRB Committee on Physical-Chemical Properties of Soils, and is presently a U.S. member of the ISSMGE Committee on Geotechnical Education and Training.
D. Healthy Eating Confused about your options? Atkins, South Beach, Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig – there are a multitude of options geared to help with weight loss or encourage healthy eating. Here is a chance to get a handle on understanding what you eat and drink, food portions, your uncontrollable cravings and how to shop for healthier eating. Get the knowledge and motivation to make the choice to eat healthier!
Cheri Domanico will be speaking from SUNY Albany. She received her Associates Degree in Nutrition and Management from Cobleskill College and continued her education at Schenectady Community College. She is certified by New York State Certification for Dietitian and Nutrition and Food Management Certification with National Food Handlers Training Certification.
Cheri has worked at the University at Albany for 30 years as Health and Nutrition Manager, Food Safety Manager, and Customer Relations. Related experiences include; The Power of Many II, Creating a Great Work Environment, Compass College II, Great People, 2005. She has conducted workshops pertaining to the New Food Pyramid, Healthy Eating, National Nutrition Month Programs for the University Community of 10,000. Member of the American Dietetic Association and The National Association of College and University Food Service Administration. Received the Regional Presidents Award for Outstanding Service, Region I, 1999. Planned, organized, and co-chaired registration of Region I NACUFS Conference a 3-day conference with 275 attendees. Assisted Heidi Solkin, RD at the NY Giants Camp, 1997-2005.
The education and training is ongoing throughout the University at Albany. Healthy eating and balanced food selections is a daily challenge. Society is living longer so let us all eat healthier!
E. Sustainable Design - Fuel Cell Systems (Rhonda Staudt)Fuel cells are highly touted for being a clean form of energy production. Simply stated, a fuel cell converts fuel into electricity, heat and water. During its operating life a highly efficient fuel cell system will decrease green house gas emissions, and decrease fuel consumption. However, the entire life cycle of the fuel cell system needs to be considered in order to provide a truly sustainable product. There fore the challenge is to implement a product design that improves efficiency at a system level, while concurrently considering the life time of every individual component.
Plug Power has initiated studies with Bluewave Strategies to evaluate the entire life cycle of a future product using a streamlined life-cycle assessment to analyze the environmental impact. The life stages considered are pre-manufacture, product manufacture, product delivery, product use, and end of life. The simplistic approach considers five environmental concerns including materials choice, energy use, solid residues, liquid residues and gaseous residues. Areas of concern are identified including potentially hazardous materials, scarce resources and energy intensive processes. The outcome of the exercise is a baseline score from which a plan for improvement can be made.
The detailed assessment has identified the need for Plug Power engineers to work closely with suppliers to reduce waste and identify alternative materials. The assessment identified the need to review each part in the system to reduce material diversity and eliminate materials that are not recyclable and/or reusable. Also, reverse logistics for the return of material from the customer-site to an end-user need to be implemented. This discussion will focus on the process for evaluating the sustainability of a product and the steps Plug Power is taking to reduce the environmental impact of its products. “Energy for a Clean Earth” is not just a slogan at Plug Power, it’s how we live.
Rhonda Staudt joined Plug Power Inc. in October 2001 to develop the Technology Delivery Process for the Research and System Architecture Group and was appointed Manager of the high Temperature Program in April 2002. Mrs. Staudt is responsible for developing the core technologies for the high temperature system, including the high temperature stack. She also manages multi-million dollar government contracts sponsored by the US Department of Energy, National Institute of Standards and Technology, and New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.
Mrs. Staudt has over fifteen years of engineering experience in product design and delivery. Prior to joining Plug Power, she spent thirteen years at Xerox Corporation working as design engineer and systems engineers. While at Xerox, she contributed to the Lakes Program as a subsystem engineer and was influential in the Program's achievement of the challenging environmental objective of "Zeros to Landfill."
Mrs. Staudt received a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Syracuse University and a Master of Science degree in Engineering from Rochester Institute of Technology. She actively supports her three children in all of their endeavors including figure skating, hockey, music, and scouting.
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5:50-6:00PM
BREAK
6:00-8:00PM
RECEPTION AND BANQUET
KEYNOTE SPEAKER, Partha Ghosh
Architecting a New Dynamic with Nature
Partha S. Ghosh & Associates, a global strategy & policy advisory firm. Based in Boston, Mr. Ghosh is a renowned strategist and an innovator of Business and Economic models and serves as an advisor to firms and governments world wide.
Previously a partner at McKinsey & Company, he is founder/Managing director of the Strategy/Policy advisory firm Partha S Ghosh & Associates. In various leadership forums, he has chaired committees focused on state-of-the-art issues related to management and governance. On specific courses/projects he has been active at MIT and Harvard University on strategic management and policy design.
Mr. Ghosh has two advanced degrees from MIT in (i) Chemical Engineering with emphasis on New Energy Systems & Biotechnologies, and (ii) Business Administration and a Bachelor of Technology in Chemical Engineering, at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Kharagpur.
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SUNDAY, APRIL 2, 2006
9:00 AM -1:00 PM
Region F Business Meeting Back To Top
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