---

     - ASEE Needs You

Founded in 1893 as the Society for the Promotion of Engineering Education, ASEE has continued to evolve and thrive throughout the past 109 years. The Society has survived two World Wars, the Great Depression, population swings, events in Korea and Vietnam, economic recessions, and the Cold War. This resilience speaks well of the vision of the founders and for the numerous volunteers who have stepped forward to assume leadership roles year after year.

In the existing constitution it is stated that, "the purpose of this Society shall be the advancement of education in all of its functions which pertain to engineering and allied branches of science and technology, including the processes of teaching and learning, counseling, research, extension services and public relations." To fulfill this purpose, the constitution directs the Society to serve its members as a common agency of stimulation and guidance in the:

a. Formulation of the general goals and responsibilities of engineering education for the service of individuals and the advancement of the general welfare.
b. Adjustment of curricula and educational processes to changing conditions; methods of personnel practices and of administrative usages.
c. Development of effective teachers, counselors, and administrators.
d. Improvement of instructional materials and methods of personnel practices and of administrative usages.
e. Enhancement of professional ideals and standards.
f. Fostering of research as a function collateral to teaching.
g. Coordination of institutional aims and programs, both among schools and colleges and in their joint relations with professional, educational, and public bodies.
h. Cultivation of a kindred spirit among teachers, counselors, researchers, administrators, practitioners, and corporate and government representatives.

As president of ASEE and chairperson of the Board of Directors, I am committed to the concept of service to those who have placed their faith in our Society through the exercise of their option to become members. Through the organizational structure that has all constituent groups represented on the board, it is my desire to have each member feel that they have a way to participate in the exiting and future program direction of ASEE. At the first meeting of the 2002-2003 Board of Directors held in Montreal in June 2002, the board members spent a considerable amount of time addressing this issue. They did so by taking time to look inwardly at what we are today and what we are to become in the future. In holding this session it was and is our goal to have the constitution and thus our Society become forward reaching and living entities. The questions used to generate the dialogue were as follows:

• Do the various programs of ASEE meet member expectations?
• Does the membership of ASEE fairly represent the engineering education community?
• Are the program elements of ASEE relevant to national needs for engineers and to the time in which we live?
• Are the programs of ASEE attractive to all existing and potential membership sectors?
• Are ASEE program elements connected?

The discussion that ensued was both lively and productive. However, one has to wonder, as we continue this examination, whether we are capturing the true sense and sentiments of our members. As the questions imply, we need to capture the concerns of every member. It is for that reason that I appeal, through this column, that the each member take the time to let us know how we might answer these questions. All Board of Directors members are fair game as a source of providing your input. Please assist in making ASEE thrive and grow through you.

Cars jumping barriers, a broken gearbox, and fierce competition were all part of the fourth annual Model Design Competition at ASEE's 2002 annual conference in Montreal. Held by ASEE's Two-year College Division (TYCD), the contest featured nine battery-powered vehicles created from scratch by teams of enthusiastic engineering students from two-year colleges, as well as freshmen and sophomores from four-year colleges. With remote controls prohibited, a $300 price limit, and a maximum size of 5 X 7 X 15 inches, each vehicle had to navigate a maze-like track as quickly as possible without input from team members.

First place finisher Cedarville University's "Tortoise" bypassed the track's maze altogether and successfully climbed over the separating barriers of the maze with a microprocessor-controlled car that utilized ramps to climb over barriers. Victorious for the second year in a row, Cedarville narrowly defeated second place finisher Illinois Central College, whose car was also designed to drive over the barriers. Tidewater Community College's third place "Car Team" chose precision over power and used optical sensors to guide its car around barriers by following the path of black electrical tape placed the length of the track. For Tidewater's other competing vehicle, "Team Tank," a broken gearbox and bad timing proved too much to overcome, as the only tank of the competition got stuck on a barrier during its run. Other schools that participated in the competition were Purdue University, Monroe Community College, Broome Community College, and Central Carolina Community College.

Next year's competition will feature a rectangular track layout with numerous shortcuts. For photos, videos, and rules of the 2002 model competition, as well as additional guidelines for the 2003 competition in Nashville, visit www.tcc.vccs.edu/studorgs/vbeng/aseecar/ or contact Paul Gordy, ASEE TYCD vice chair at pgordy@tcc.vccs.edu.

The winning teams of the 2002 TYCD National Design Competition are:

First Place Team
College: Cedarville University (Cedarville, Ohio)
Student Team Members: Michael Walker (captain), Dave Bartlett, Silas Gibbs, and Tim Linden
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Clint Kohl

Second Place Team
College: Illinois Central College
(East Peoria, Ill.)
Student Team Members: Robert Warden (captain), Dale Johnson, Bryan McIntosh, and Shaun Woolard
Faculty Advisor: Robert Bloompott

Third Place Team
College: Tidewater Community College (Virginia Beach, Va.)
Student Team Members: Craig Byl
(captain), Robert Sereno, Michael French, Jennifer Martin, Josh Dart, Jayson Humrich, and Brett Byers
Faculty Advisors: Paul Gordy and Steve Ezzell.

Did you know that ASEE administers several fellowships? There are programs for doctoral, postdoctoral, and faculty research. For more information, contact the ASEE Projects Department at (202) 331-3525; e-mail: projects@asee.org; or see www.asee.org/fellowship.

NDSEG Fellowship Program

The Department of Defense sponsors the National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowship Program. This program awards over 100 three-year graduate fellowships each year. Fellowships are awarded for study and research leading to doctoral degrees in mathematical, physical, biological, ocean, and engineering sciences.
Recipients receive in excess of $70,000 in stipends over a three-year period and full tuition. The Fellow selects the university he or she wishes to attend. The NDSEG program is open only to U.S. citizens and nationals pursuing their Ph.D.s at U.S. graduate institutions. Applicants must have received their baccalaureate degrees by the fall 2003. The application deadline is January 6, 2003. For more information, including application instructions, visit www.asee.org/ndseg.

Helen T. Carr Fellowship Program

Under the auspices of ASEE's Historically Black Engineering Colleges Committee, the Helen T. Carr Fellowship Program provides up to $10,000 per year to African-American students pursuing a doctoral degree in engineering. Upon completion of the doctoral degree requirements, a fellow is committed to return to one of the HBEC institutions to teach for a year. A candidate must be sponsored by the dean of engineering from one of the participating institutions. Applications from sponsoring deans should be submitted to ASEE by May 1 each year.

Participating institutions are Alabama A&M University, Normal, Ala.; Hampton University, Hampton, Va.; Howard University, Washington, D.C.; Morgan State University, Baltimore, Md.; North Carolina A&T University, Greensboro, N.C.; Prairie View A&M University, Prairie View, Texas; Southern University, Baton Rouge, La.; Tennessee State University, Nashville, Tenn.; and Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, Ala. For more information, visit www.asee.org/fellowship/hbecc.cfm.

Army Research Laboratory Postdoctoral Fellowship Program

The Army Research Laboratory (ARL) Postdoctoral Fellowship Program is designed to significantly increase the involvement of creative and highly trained scientists and engineers from academia and industry in scientific and technical areas that are of interest and relevance to the Army. Applications are received on an ongoing basis and can be submitted at any time. Most research opportunities at ARL are open only to U.S. citizens. The selected participants will work in an Army laboratory with senior ARL scientists and engineers. Fellowships are awarded for one year but may be renewed for a second and third year based upon the recommendation of the fellow's advisor and availability of laboratory funds. Stipends range from $46,000 to $57,000 based on experience and research interests. Higher stipends are available for senior appointments. The program provides parti-cipants with health, life, and disability insurance. Travel and relocation funds are available. For more information, visit www.asee.org/arl.

Naval Research Laboratory Postdoctoral Fellowship Program

The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) sponsors a postdoctoral fellowship program designed to increase the involvement of creative and highly trained scientists and engineers from academia and industry in scientific and technical areas that are of interest and relevance to the Navy.

The NRL Postdoctoral Fellowship Program provides up to 30 new postdoctoral appointments per year. Fellows are selected on the basis of their overall qualifications and technical proposals. The selected participants will work in a unique Navy laboratory environment with senior Navy scientists and engineers. Deadlines are the first of each month.

Awards are for one year and are renewable for a second and third year, given satisfactory performance and availability of funds. Competitive stipends, based upon research experience and direction, are offered at around $55,000. A group health insurance program is provided for participants. Travel and relocation allowances are available.

Participants selected for support under the ONR Postdoctoral Fellowship Program must be U.S. citizens and eligible for a Department of Defense security clearance of "Secret." For more information, visit www.asee.org/nrl.

Office of Naval Research Summer Faculty Research Program

The Office of Naval Research (ONR) Summer Faculty Research Program provides science and engineering faculty the opportunity to participate in research at Navy laboratories for a 10-week period during the summer break. Summer research is defined in advance through correspondence and an optional pre-program visit to the research site.

Participants have the opportunity to establish continuing research relations with the R&D personnel of the host laboratories, which may result in sponsorship of the participants' research at their home institutions. Faculty members from historically black colleges and universities and minority institutions are especially encouraged to apply.

Stipends range from $1,400 to $1,900 per week. An optional pre-program visit to the research site is funded through the program. Pre-program visits may be made in April, May, or June. For applicants who relocate their residence for the 10-week period of appointment, a travel and modest relocation allowance will be provided. For more information, visit www.asee.org/summer.

Office of Naval Research Sabbatical Leave Program

The Office of Naval Research Sabbatical Leave Program provides science and engineering faculty the opportunity to conduct research at Navy laboratories while on sabbatical leave from their institutions. Participants in the Sabbatical Leave Program receive a monthly stipend making up the difference between their salary and sabbatical leave pay. Participants also receive reimbursement for travel to and from the laboratory site and a relocation allowance for those who must change their residence during their sabbatical leave tenure. Appointments are for a minimum of one semester and a maximum of one year.

This is a residential sabbatical, and participants must conduct research on site. Applications are accepted on a continuing basis, but should be submitted at least six months prior to the proposed starting date. For more information, visit www.asee.org/summer.

A call for papers has been issued for the 32nd International Conference on Computer and Industrial Engineering, hosted by the Department of Manufacturing and Operations Engineering at the University of Limerick, Ireland, August 11-13, 2003. "Sustainability, Globalization—The Engineering Challenge" is the conference theme, and papers are invited on: information technology and engineering; data mining and knowledge discovery; computational intelligence; multi-criteria decision making and decision analysis; engineering economy and value analysis; and discrete optimization, among many other topics. Paper abstract, tutorials, workshops, and panel discussion proposal submissions are due December 2, 2002. More information is available at www.ul.ie/cie/call_for_papers.htm.

The Institute of Sound and Vibration Research (ISVR) is hosting the Eighth International Conference on Recent Advances in Structural Dynamics at Southampton University, UK, during July 14-16, 2003. The conference will be a forum for researchers and practicing engineers to discuss the latest advances in structural dynamics. There will be five keynote lectures and parallel technical sessions. For more information, visit www.isvr.soton.ac.uk/sd2003/.