College's next strategic plan is only as good as your input
by the strategic plan working group chairs Michael Dyrenfurth, Daphene Koch, Stacy Nowak, Andy Schaffer, and Shari Schrader
Under the leadership of President France A. Córdova and a newly adopted strategic plan for 2008-2014, the University has chartered its direction. We in the College of Technology are now navigating through the strategic planning process that will establish our next six-year journey.
A college steering committee has been named to capture the perspectives of faculty and staff, along with the insights of students, alumni, and supporters. The steering committee is composed of four work groups — one for each of the strategic plan goals and one to develop a resulting plan document. These work groups are facilitators and not the representative voice for college constituents. The trip that we take to gather our direction and the resulting course that we take will only be as good as the input that we receive from ALL faculty and staff.
Work group members may be approaching you individually for your feedback. Please give them your time and insights. The work groups will compile white papers, which will be presented to the college community at open forums before it goes to the document work group and then to the Provost office for review and approval in late January. Mark your calendar for the appropriate open forum (see dates below) and plan to attend with ideas about where you think the college should be headed.
Forum Dates
- Faculty – November 5, 9:00 to 11:00 a.m., Stewart Center, Room 313;
November 7 time and location TBA
- Staff – November 3, 9:00 to 11:00 a.m., Stewart Center, Room 320
- Students – November 5, 1:00 to 3:00 p.m., Stewart Center, Room 322
Note: The college's locations can view the forums by videoconferencing if requested in advance. Requests should be sent to Janet Ebershoff and Melissa Dark two weeks in advance of the forum.
Strategic Plan Steering Committee
Melissa Dark, coordinator
Discovery with Delivery work group
Mark French
Daphene Koch, chair
Michael Sanders
Marvin Sarapin
Neal Widmer
Nathan Harter |
Launching Tomorrow’s Leaders work group
Sarah George
Greg Moss
James Mohler
Stacy Nowak, co-chair
TR Oneal
Shari Schrader, co-chair
John Young |
Meeting Global Challenges work group
Don Buskirk
Robert Cox
Michael Dyrenfurth, co-chair
Gail Farnsley
Dan Lybrook
Adam Santone
Andy Schaffer, co-chair
Jeff Brewer
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Document work group
Jeff Brewer
Nathan Harter
Dennis Depew
Duane Dunlap
Mary King
John Young |
Faculty Profile
Todd Kelley
Title: Assistant professor of industrial technology
Time at Purdue: Todd began this fall semester as part of Purdue's P-12 sTEm education initiative among the colleges of Engineering, Education and Technology to emphasize the technology and engineering (T and E) in science, technology, engineering and math initiative.
What I'm working on: I would like to seek outside funding to hire professional videographers to create a documentary-style video to be broadcast nationally highlighting a day in the life of an engineer. The purpose would be to provide a real-life example of what engineers do daily. There is a real need for kids to learn about what engineering and STEM jobs are like so they can make informed career decisions. Not since the "space race" of the 1960s has the general public had an understanding of what engineers do. In order for young people to choose engineering careers, they must understand what the subject is, why it matters and have good role models to look up to. This is especially important when trying to attract women and minorities to engineering. They might not care about building robots, but they do care how to solve real-world problems. In order to tackle the engineering challenges of the future, we need input of people from all backgrounds. My other work includes studying how high school teachers are teaching pre-engineering and STEM concepts in the classroom
Why did I choose to research this? It stemmed from my own trouble in high school with math and science. I didn't understand why I was learning math or science and had no idea how to apply it to real life. I remember asking one of my teachers, "Why do I need to learn algebra? What can I use it for?" The reply was, "You can use it to measure the height of the flagpole out there." I thought that was kind of silly, but then I wondered why we didn't go out there and do just that. I want to work with teachers to encourage them to emphasize the "E" and the "T." It is the application of math and science to real-world problems that will get kids interested, not a focus on memorizing formulas and equations for standardized tests.
When I'm not researching or teaching, you can find me doing this: You'll find me trying to keep up with my two children as well as woodworking and fishing.
CoT News Submissions
Report your CoT news through the online reporting form. Feel free to use this form to notify the communications team of your college-related news, events, and achievements. This information will be distributed to the team for potential use in news releases, the dean's e-newsletter, Innovation magazine and updating information on the college's Web site. The next e-newsletter is scheduled for distribution on Monday, October 20.
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Faculty News
A paper titled "Comparing Swiss and U.S. Homes in the Area of Energy Efficiency," written by building construction management assistant professor Daphene Koch, graduate students Eric Holt and Jason Kutch, and William Hutzel, associate professor of mechanical engineering technology, will be presented at the 2008 IAJC-IJME (International Association of Journals & Conferences-International Journal of Modern Engineering) International Conference in November and will be published in the conference proceedings. The paper also will be considered for publication in one of nine or more IAJC member journals.
Michael O'Hair, associate dean for engagement, was selected for an award based on his presentation given at the American Society for Engineering Education Conference for Industry Education Collaboration (ASEE-CIEC) held in February in New Orleans. O'Hair won the CIEC Best Session Award in the engineering technology division for the session titled, "The Role of Engagement in Higher Education: Focus on Engineering and Engineering Technology – Key Concepts and Examples that Strengthen our Future." His co-presenters were Jerry Alberts of Clemson University and former director of corporate relations for the College of Technology, and Anne Spence of the University of Maryland at Baltimore. They will be honored at the 2009 conference on Feb. 4 in Orlando, Fla.
Student News
Michael Popp, a student at the New Albany location, was named the Louisville Science Center's Volunteer of the Year for 2007-08 during an event Sept. 18. Popp said he was able to use knowledge obtained from his math and science classes to help educate area students in science at the Louisville Science Center. Using computer graphics skills obtained in his courses at Purdue, he was able to create educational material to help with the understanding of geometry, language, organic chemistry, and paleontology. Popp has been a volunteer since last October and has accumulated more than 150 hours of service while also attending college full-time, working on his second bachelor's degree.
A group of students from the college won the top prize in the undergraduate division of the poster session during Purdue Green Week last month. Students Benjamin Doerr, Bryan O'Neill, Bill Callaghan, and Ben Stuby won for their poster, "Harvesting Heat In Data Centers." The students were part of the Building Construction Management 499S course. The poster looked at capturing the waste heat produced in data centers and reusing it in buildings as a heating supply to decrease the use of fossil fuels. The BCM 499S course had seven posters, five of which were in the undergraduate division, accepted in the poster competition.
Nick Griswold, an aviation management student with an OLS minor, is running for Purdue's Homecoming King.
Sponsored Research Update
For an updated look at sponsored research activities within the College of Technology, visit the applied research section of the CoT Web site.
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In the News
Purdue Technology Center of Southeast Indiana dedicated during event
Purdue University officials and local dignitaries dedicated the 40,000-square-foot Purdue Technology Center of Southeast Indiana at an event at the center on Oct. 1.
The Purdue Technology Center of Southeast Indiana is one of four Purdue Research Park centers around the state that serve as incubators for startup or expanding companies. It also is home to most of the classrooms, labs, and faculty offices for Purdue's College of Technology at New Albany location.
The College of Technology occupies the building's first floor, which houses its computer graphics technology, electrical engineering technology, and mechanical engineering technology programs. Purdue will maintain a presence at Indiana University Southeast, where all of Purdue's programs were formerly housed, for the industrial technology and organizational leadership and supervision programs, which will be located in the Hausfeldt Building.
University News Service
Louisville Courier-Journal story
Dedication Video
Indiana Michigan Power donates $75,000 to ECET
Indiana Michigan Power (I&M), a subsidiary of American Electric Power, donated $75,000 to the Department of Electrical and  Computer and Engineering Technology during a presentation in Knoy Hall on Sept. 26.
The donation was made in honor of David Altizer, who is retiring as director of transmission services for American Electric Power and is a member of the ECET department's industrial advisory board.
Altizer was surprised with the celebration in honor of his 10 years of service on the board.
"It's unexpected," he said. "Being a part of the IAB has been a pleasure and I've enjoyed the relationship with Purdue. I&M has had a relationship with Purdue for nearly 40 years."
Altizer said that he has worked with department head Robert Herrick and the faculty as they've developed new programs. He said the industrial advisory board relationship benefits the company and the university.
"That’s the real satisfaction – working to develop the next group of leaders in the industry and knowing that they're out there," Altizer said.
The gift is undesignated, but potential uses could include:
• Funding an evening open lab to benefit all the department's students, and especially students with team-oriented or senior design courses
• Funding a senior design capstone course in the summer, which would greatly help some co-op students and CODO students complete the program in early June instead of December
• Holding a contest of proposed energy or green projects and awarding the winner a project development fund through the department
• Supporting faculty and students in the areas of energy and sustainability, power electronics, and other energy-related areas in applied research and curriculum development
• Supporting funded student activities, faculty development or lab equipment.
Purdue trustees OK legislative request to support statewide technology
The Purdue board of trustees on Sept. 26 approved the university's 2009-2011 biennium legislative request for operating appropriations, which includes funds to expand Purdue's statewide technology. One request includes $976,000 in recurring state funding to implement new bachelor's degree programs at 10 Indiana locations. An additional $951,000 also is requested in one-time support.
University News Service
College of Technology at Anderson/Muncie to hold Purdue Night Oct. 14
The College of Technology at Anderson/Muncie is holding an open house Oct. 14 at the Anderson University Flagship Center. The Purdue Night event, which is open to the public, will be 5-7:30 p.m. at the center at 2705 Enterprise Drive off Interstate 69, exit 22.
Barb Alder, location director, said the open house will offer prospective students and their families information about degree programs and other educational opportunities offered at Purdue in Anderson and Muncie.
Those in attendance will be able to visit with Purdue faculty and staff, tour the facilities and ask questions about the admissions process and career options. Refreshments also will be offered.
CGT professors create tool to help kids stay in school
About three years ago, inspirational speaker Craig MacFarlane created 20/20 Inner Vision Inc. with the mission to increase the number of kids graduating from high school.
MacFarlane realized that to reach teens he had to utilize the Web. Living in Zionsville, Ind., he heard that Purdue University's computer graphics technology program would be a good place to start.
With MacFarlane's prompting, assistant professors of computer graphics technology Ron Glotzbach and Kellen Maicher and Purdue students created a Web site, www.sticktoschool.com with the purpose of encouraging students to graduate from high school.
Journal and Courier
Times Sentinel
Expect 'sticker shock' when booking holiday flights, professor says
Record-high fuel prices and new fees added by many air carriers will make the cost of flying home for the holidays significantly higher than last year, says a Purdue University professor.
Dale Oderman, an associate professor of aviation technology, says people looking to book flights now for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday seasons will experience "sticker shock," especially if they haven't tried to book a flight since this time last year.
University News Service
Reuters
Inside Edge
Journal and Courier
Former CIO: Creating peer networks key to helping women stay in IT jobs
A Purdue expert says peer networks among women in information technology careers can go a long way toward helping them feel satisfied in the job.
Gail Farnsley, a visiting professor in the Department of Computer and Information Technology and a former vice president of IT and chief information officer at Cummins Inc., says one way to help retain women in computer related careers is to develop strong support systems.
University News Service
Interactive technology could help students feel what can't be seen
Equations or graphs can explain what happens when atoms bump into each other, but a technology called haptics could help students know how it feels.
A Purdue University researcher says haptic, or force-feedback, technology can be used in a variety of classroom subjects, especially in the sciences.
"It's hard to teach these topics when students can't see or feel what they are studying," said Gary Bertoline, associate dean for graduate programs and research in Purdue's College of Technology. "Through various devices that simulate physical properties, haptics allows you to feel things you can't see."
Bertoline has recently begun a National Science Foundation-funded project that would develop course modules to incorporate the use of haptic devices in existing sophomore-level courses in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
University News Service
College of Technology student turns idea into merchandise
What started out as a joke ended up as a marketable product.
Ben Stover, a junior in organizational leadership and supervision, developed the Rah Bra, a Hawaiian-style bra which is customized to display school colors and can be worn outside or without a shirt.
"It can be worn by both men and women to bring out the fun in tailgating," he said. "There is no logo, just colors. They can be used across different sports levels."
The Exponent
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