bcoe-news • april 08



Inside this issueECE students get grabby College students teach lessons of prevention Paganini on board with the BCoE Straight from the minds of young scientists Student trafficking in civil engineering Alumni Spotlight Awards & RecognitionChemical engineering professor impresses national engineering education organization National organization recognizes student's achievments Faculty member recognized for dedication to students Boeing—the world’s leading aerospace company—selects BCoE aerospace professor for Boeing Welliver Faculty Fellowship Program BCoE & MSU Quick LinkBagley College of Engineering Mississippi State University Alumni Foundation Giving Special Podcast Release "Science Guy" visits MSU Thanks to his energetic performances on television, Bill Nye is known to most as the “Science Guy,” but during a recent visit to MSU he reveled his other passions. Nye is a strong supporter of science education because he knows the future of our world will soon be in the hands of today’s children. While visiting campus, he also took the time to discuss hybrid vehicles with members of the BCoE’s national champion Challenge X team. Nye was given the opportunity to drive the vehicle and inspect the students’ craftsmanship while examining the inner-workings of the car. Click here to listen. Momentum Preview Click here to download and see Momentum before it goes out in the mail. Hard copies will be arriving in your mailboxes later this May.		Greetings! Congratulations to the graduating class of 2008. As you start your new life journeys, here are a few words of wisdom. Stay positive: Even when things don’t seem to go your way, keep your chin up and believe everything happens for a reason. Share your insights: Networking and collaborating with people turns good ideas into innovative inventions. Keep it honest: Always remember it’s the tone of voice you use to deliver the message that really matters. Be realistic: It may take you more than five years to be the next chief executive officer. For most people, it takes the entirety of their career and even though they deserve the position, they may not be the chosen one. Build relationships: Beware of building barriers and learn to work and understand people from a variety of professional backgrounds. You never know who might be your next boss. Always remember where you came from: We want to know about your accomplishments and your challenges, so stay in touch. You never know, your MSU family might have the network connections for your next job. Best of luck, Glenn, Ph.D., P.E. Interim Dean James Worth Bagley College of Engineering ECE students get grabby By the time Bagley College of Engineering students become seniors, working within their majors comes naturally, causing fundamentals to seem rudimentary and the budding engineers to look to flashier methods of problem-solving. However, students in electrical and computer engineering overcame that pitfall to grasp the meaning of teamwork and analytical thinking for success in the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Annual Student Hardware Competition. Click here to read more. College students teach lessons of prevention Scott Metzler, a second-year biological engineering Ph.D. student, moved nearly 2,000 miles from his home in San Diego, Calif., to study heart valve disease research at the Bagley College of Engineering (BCoE). Born with a congenital heart defect, Metzler has a faulty heart valve, so his reasons for studying the disease are not only professional, but also personal. Click here to read more. Paganini on board with the BCoE Mississippi State’s Bagley College of Engineering (BCoE) introduces a new member to the dean’s advisory council this month. Marc Paganini joins the dean’s advisory council as the newest and one of only a few select non-alumnus member. Click here to read more.
Straight from the minds of young scientists Standing side-by-side with their colorful, tri-panel posters, thousands of elementary students were showing off their science projects in the halls and the auditorium floor of Humphrey Coliseum. Every year the Bagley College of Engineering (BCoE) sponsors the Region V Mississippi Science and Engineering Fair. Donna Reese, an associate dean for the BCoE, oversees the K-12 Outreach Program team that spends a year putting the event together. Click here to read more. Student trafficking in civil engineering Whether missing a final, being a few credits short at graduation or having the dog eat your lab report, college can cause nightmares for students. While these panicked visions may be common across the nation, any Bulldog knows that State students face a Starkville-specific worry that can bring things to a screeching halt-–literally. This daily obstacle is called traffic and it morphs campus roads into impassable mazes of cars, pedestrians and road rage. At peak times, automobiles can be seen backed up the entire length of some streets as drivers work to navigate the numerous four-way stops between them and their destinations. While many see this simply as a part of campus life, one civil engineering senior sees it as an opportunity to learn and put classroom theories to practical use. Click here to read more. Alumni Spotlight: Performing in extraordinary circumstances Few events in recent memory have affected Mississippi and the Gulf Coast region as much as Hurricane Katrina. Nearly three years after the storm made landfall, the area and its residents still bear its scars. For many, the entire event unfolded on television. However, for Dr. Allen Butler, it happened right in front of his eyes, forcing him to perform ordinary professional activities in extraordinary circumstances.Click here to read more.