If we don't know about it, we can't promote it

by Mary King, director of communications

“Director of Communications,” so just what does that title imply … (do)?

As a descriptor, my job is … “to facilitate communication internally between faculty and staff and externally with our various constituents with the right message in a timely manner using the most effective methodologies to engage them. (in a nutshell, marketing communications strategy)

On a day-to-day basis, my role translates into supporting, coordinating, facilitating, and pitching in with the activities of our communications team (which I introduce below). In my eyes though, my primary role is to serve you, to share the successes of our college with those who need and want to know about them. I have worked in higher education marketing communications for 18 years, and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. There’s never a lack of news and great stories to tell.

And you and I both have the good fortune of talented resources to tell the College of Technology story. Our communication team members who help craft the stories include:

• Steven Lincoln, who works for Purdue Marketing Communications and serves as our primary writer, editor, and production coordinator for print materials
• Kim Medaris, who is our University News Service contact writing all of our college’s press releases and conducting media relations on behalf of the college as well as helping to set up the editorial direction for our e-newsletter
• An Electronic Communications Coordinator, whom we are in the process of hiring to lead our online communications initiatives for the college
• Rounding out the team is Abe Cross, director of advancement, and Erin Pennington, director of alumni and donor relations who provide perspectives from two of our key audiences; and finally
• Mary Sadowski, associate dean for undergraduate programs, who shares valuable perspectives from academia and the students.

BUT … just as the headline for this column states, “We can’t promote what we don’t know about.” Please do not be afraid to “brag” a bit about your accomplishments. YOU are what make this college so great.

How to share: The best way is to send us your news is via the online form. You can use this hyperlink to get there, or you can navigate to it by going to the front page of the college’s Web site, click on the “news and events” drop-down menu and select “report news and events.” Submissions from this form are automatically e-mailed to Kim, Steven, and I so you’ve communicated with three people at one time. Production has started for the college’s next issue of Innovation magazine so we are especially in need of information on your scholarly endeavors (awards, published books, keynote presentations, involvements with professional associations and journals) for the “Faculty Accolades” section.

Thank you for all that you do. We all enjoy telling the College of Technology story.

Mary

In the News

Project Lead The Way Grows in Indiana

Indiana Project Lead the Way, part of a national non-profit program that provides engineering and technology education curricula for teachers in middle and high schools, has grown to 231 schools this year, a 45 percent increase from 2006.

The increase puts it first in the nation for schools implementing the Project Lead the Way curriculum.

Michael O'Hair, associate dean for engagement in Purdue's College of Technology and co-chairman of Indiana Project Lead the Way, credits the spike in participation to several factors, with the common thread being the collaborative effort among Purdue, state agencies and schools.

"We've had steady growth since the program started in Indiana in 2001, but it's been significant in the past year due to continued and strong support and collaboration with the Indiana Department of Workforce Development and Department of Education," he said. "Their backing has enabled us to get the word out to schools, receive more funding and grow the program in new directions." More Info.

The increase puts it first in the nation for schools implementing the Project Lead the Way curriculum.

Michael O'Hair, associate dean for engagement in Purdue's College of Technology and co-chairman of Indiana Project Lead the Way, credits the spike in participation to several factors, with the common thread being the collaborative effort among Purdue, state agencies and schools.

"We've had steady growth since the program started in Indiana in 2001, but it's been significant in the past year due to continued and strong support and collaboration with the Indiana Department of Workforce Development and Department of Education," he said. "Their backing has enabled us to get the word out to schools, receive more funding and grow the program in new directions." More Info.

New leader named for College of Technology at Indianapolis, Lafayette

Purdue University has named Jon Aull as director of the Purdue University College of Technology locations at Indianapolis and Lafayette. Aull most recently served as an instructional technologist and director of the Center for Instructional Excellence at Wallace Community College in Alabama. More Info.

College of Technology at Kokomo names interim director

Kevin D. Taylor has been selected as interim director of the College of Technology at Kokomo. Taylor, who has been an associate professor of electrical engineering technology at Kokomo since 1992, is overseeing operations for the College of Technology at Kokomo, located on the Indiana University Kokomo campus. The college's Kokomo location serves the educational and work force training needs for six north central Indiana counties, including an enrollment of more than 200 students. More Info.

Purdue site of Deming Institute fall conference on Oct. 13-14

Experts, students and business people from across the nation will gather at Purdue University to explore the philosophy of the man credited with improving manufacturing processes and quality control in the United States and Japan.

The W. Edwards Deming Institute Fall Conference will be Oct. 13-14 at Purdue's Stewart Center.

Jim Windle, a Purdue professor of organizational leadership and supervision, teaches a class based on the Deming philosophy. He said Deming's principles have been key to improving efficiency and quality for years in a wide variety of businesses - first in Japan and then in the United States.

"These ideas don't come and go. They are the fabric of our future," Windle said. "It's important to discuss this philosophy in a university setting and open these ideas up to a new generation of leaders so they can implement these theories in their workplaces in the future."

The cost to attend the conference is $250. To register, go online to http://www.conf.purdue.edu/deming. For registration information or questions, contact Kim Stockment, conference coordinator, at (765) 494-7225, kstockme@purdue.edu.

One hundred thirty scholarships will be available for qualified students to offset the conference cost. A scholarship application can be printed from the conference Web site. For information about the scholarships, contact the W. Edwards Deming Institute at (301) 294-8405, staff@deming.org More Info.

Purdue to offer leadership course in Crawfordsville

Purdue's College of Technology at Lafayette will offer a class on leadership this fall in Crawfordsville that is open to anyone in the community.

The course will be taught on two different days and times to accommodate the needs of shift workers in the Crawfordsville community:

* 4-8 p.m. each Tuesday from Oct. 23 through Dec. 11 or
* 8 a.m. to noon each Saturday from Oct. 27 through Dec. 15.

Both classes will meet at the Montgomery County Economic Development's Skills Net Room in the Weliver Building, 1823-29 E. Elmore St. in Crawfordsville. Registration deadline is Oct. 16. More Info.

Purdue project will help attract girls to computer-related careers

A Purdue University professor will use a $1.19 million grant funded by the National Science Foundation to work with high school teachers and counselors to increase the number of young people pursuing careers in computer-related fields.

Alka Harriger, professor and assistant head of the Department of Computer and Information Technology, wrote the grant proposal for the three-year project called Surprising Possibilities Imagined and Realized Through Information Technology (SPIRIT). The goal in working with high school teachers and counselors is to reach those who have direct influence on students' career choices.

Harriger will lead all SPIRIT activities. Kyle Lutes, an associate professor in the department, and Buster Dunsmore, an associate professor of computer science, are working with Harriger on the project.

The SPIRIT project focuses on encouraging more young women to pursue computing careers, such as in information technology, computer science, network engineering and technology support. It will do so by educating high school teachers and counselors about wide-ranging career options open to women in those fields, clearing misperceptions people have about careers in the computer industry and instructing participants on how to use computer software to create storyboards that can convey technical subject material in an engaging manner. More Info.

MET students take part in first 'Renewable on Parade' event in Iowa

Eight Purdue University students and a faculty member traveled Sept. 21-22 to Washington, Iowa, to participate in the first Renewable on Parade Consumer Expo.

Heather Cooper, assistant professor of mechanical engineering technology, and David Goodman, a doctoral student in the department, accompanied four mechanical engineering technology undergraduates and three members of the Purdue Solar Racing Team to the expo.

Purdue displayed the Purdue solar car, an Energy Center exhibit called "Our Energy Future: Hydrogen and Fuel Cells," which is currently on display at the Terre Haute Children's Museum, and several smaller energy demonstration modules.

Renewable on Parade showcased technologies in bioenergy, fuel cells and alternative energy, bringing together perspectives from government, business, consumers and academia.

Airline officials land at Purdue for recruitment event

Officials from Atlantic Southeast Airlines visited the Purdue University Airport on Sept. 25 to talk with aviation technology students about careers with the company.

Atlantic Southeast Airlines, a Delta Connection carrier, landed a 50-passenger Bombardier Canadair Regional Jet (CRJ200) at the airport. Officials from the company talked to students about internship and employment opportunities that include working as a pilot, airplane maintenance specialist or in management. Students also will be able to tour the aircraft, sit in the flight deck and learn about how the aircraft operates.

Darrin Greubel, manager of flight standards for Atlantic Southeast Airlines, said the company has been involved with recruiting at Purdue and other universities in the past but that this is the first time the company has flown an aircraft in to be part of the recruitment event.

"We have hired a number of Purdue graduates in the past and have been extremely pleased with the quality of pilots the Purdue aviation program produces," he said.

ASA representatives will return to Purdue for the aviation technology job fair on Oct. 18.

Computer crime expert to speak at Anderson

A computer crime specialist will share his expertise on how to outsmart high-tech criminals in a Nov. 8 presentation to local high school students.

Tim Wedge of the National White Collar Crime Center will give two presentations of the talk "High-Tech Crimes: The Challenges of Combating Computer-Literate Criminals." He will speak from 10-11:15 a.m. and from 12:30-1:45 p.m. at Purdue's Anderson campus, 2705 Enterprise Drive, at the Anderson University Flagship Center.

Wedge, on permanent loan to Purdue as part of an alliance with the Indiana State Police, the university and the National White Collar Crime Center, will address the challenges faced by law enforcement in combating high-tech crimes. In addition, he'll give an overview of possible career paths for students considering a future in computer forensics. His presentation also will include a demonstration of the digital-data recovery process. More Info.

Short course offered by Engineering Professional Education

The School of Mechanical Engineering at Purdue is offering a short course on "Nonlinear Vibration Analysis and System Identification" Oct. 17-19 at the Aviation Technology Center in Indianapolis. The course will be taught by two professors in the school, Doug Adams and Chuck Krousgrill.

Topics will include aircraft structures, vehicle suspensions, clutches, brakes and engine accessories. Theoretical and experimental tools for characterizing and modeling real-world, nonlinear vibrating systems will be discussed, as well as applications in noise and vibration control and structural health monitoring.

Continuing education units are available for those who complete the course. For more information, contact Vickie Maris, director of professional development programs in Engineering Professional Education, at

Top science journalists to be honored at Purdue Nov. 7-9

Purdue University will honor leading science journalists from around the world during the second annual Science Journalism Laureates Program Nov. 7-9.

The journalists also will interact with the Purdue community. The laureates will meet with students, alumni and faculty to discuss new frontiers of science and technology and changes in the field of science communication.

"The science writer plays a vital role in our society by translating research discoveries into something the public can understand," said Jeffrey Vitter, the Frederick L. Hovde Dean of the College of Science. "It is like the old saying, 'If a tree falls in the forest and there is no one to hear it, does it make a sound?' If a researcher makes a breakthrough discovery and the decision-maker cannot understand it, the impact is lessened.

"By honoring leaders in the science-writing field, Purdue is making a call to all universities to showcase the importance of this field."

The laureates will participate in a public town hall meeting in the commons of the Lawson Computer Science Building the morning of Nov. 8. That afternoon, the laureates will address the campus during a public convocation. These events are free and open to the public.

"This program highlights the importance of sharing knowledge and the need for scientists and communicators to work together," said interim Purdue Provost Victor Lechtenberg. "It is a topic paramount to a research university such as Purdue and crucial for the future success of our students. I would encourage Purdue faculty to make arrangements for their students to attend these events."

The founding laureates also will return to Purdue to join the 2007 laureates for this year's program. The founding laureates are:

• Clive Cookson, science editor for the Financial Times of London.
• David Ewing Duncan, science journalist for Discover, National Geographic and PBS's Nova.
• Joel Garreau, journalist and editor for the Washington Post.
• Simon Grose, science and technology editor for the Canberra Times.
• Moira Gunn, host of National Public Radio's Tech Nation and BioTech Nation.
• Joan Leach, science communications program at the University of Queensland.
• Sabine Louet, news editor of Nature Biotechnology.
• Apoorva Mandavilli, senior news editor of Nature Medicine.
• Nuala Moran, editor of science and business and correspondent for BioWorld.
• Jason Pontin, editor in chief of Technology Review and columnist for the New York Times.
• Jeff Young, senior editor of the Chronicle of Higher Education.