Orientation activities for grads today

Orientation activities sponsored by the College of Engineering and the Engineering Graduate Students Associate (EGSA) are scheduled for today (Wednesday, August 26). All incoming and continuing graduate students are invited to participate.

8:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.: Breakfast
Hosted by EGSA in the Duffield Atrium

9:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.: Welcome
Duffield Atrium
EGSA President Jon Felbinger
Professor Marjolein van der Meulen, Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies, College of Engineering

9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.: M.S./Ph.D. presentations
203 Phillips Hall
Student panel discussion and Q&A
Break-out discussion groups (begins at 10:30)

9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.: M.Eng. Presentations
101 Phillips Hall
Mark Savage, Director, Engineering Career Services
Ann Richards, Johnson Graduate School of Management
M.Eng. panel discussion and Q&A (begins at 10 a.m.)

12:00 noon – 2:00 p.m.: Barbeque
Stewart Park

For more information, please visit the EGSA Web site.

Cornell solar house debuts at state fair
Cornell University's solar house, which will compete in the U.S. Department of Energy's 2009 Solar Decathlon Contest later this fall, is already on the road. The house will be open to the public at the New York State Fair in Syracuse August 27 through September 7. It is located on the Colonnade on Chevy Court.

Designed by an interdisciplinary team of students, this energy-efficient model home captures solar energy, re-uses wastewater, and offers a glimpse into the future. The official tour times for the Cornell Solar Decathlon Team at the State Fair are as follows:

11 a.m. to 1 p.m. - Public walk through tours
4 p.m. to 6 p.m. - Public walk through tours
6 p.m. to 8 p.m.- Public small group tours

There is a fee to get into the fair ($10) and there is also a fee for the solar house tours, but this will be waived for Cornell employees (they only need to show their Cornell ID). The Solar Decathlon team can also coordinate tours for groups of employees at other times during the fair. To do so, please contact team adviser Matt Ulinski with the number in the group and day/time desired.

For more information about the solar decathlon project, please visit the Solar Decathlon Web site.

Lockheed Martin Day 2009 set for September 10
The 2009 Lockheed Martin Day will take place in the Duffield Atrium on September 10 from 10 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. Exhibits are feel and open to the public.

The event also features a public talk by Chris Myers '96 MPA, vice president for solar energy programs at Lockheed Martin. His lecture, "Lockheed Martin: Solar energy at utility scale," will take place at 12:20 p.m. in 255 Olin Hall.

Career Fairs scheduled for September 15-16
University Career Fair days are schedule for September 15 and 16 in Barton Hall from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. The Tuesday fair on September 15 is general interest (all university majors); Wednesday Fair on September 16 is for engineering and technical majors. Information for students and employers is available online.

Opportunity to highlight Cornell Engineering through the NSF
The National Science Foundation is seeking young, charismatic, appealing, energetic engineers to profile as role models. You can view current video profiles online.

Candidates should be individuals who have a few years of experience in their fields (that is, not graduate students) and are in their late twenties or early thirties. Please submit names, contact information, photos (and/or links to photos), web site information, and/or a few sentences about candidates' jobs and current projects to Cliff Braverman at the National Science Foundation. Deadline for submissions is September 4, 2009.

COMSOL presents free multiphysics modeling workshop
On September 17, COMSOL will give a free multiphysics modeling workshop in 471 Rhodes Hall. The goal of this workshop is to teach the skills needed to simulate a problem in COMSOL Multiphysics and is appropriate for both new and experienced users.

The COMSOL Multiphysics simulation environment is used for simulating and optimizing engineering phenomena based on PDEs, such as structural mechanics, heat transfer, electromagnetics, and fluid flows. The program includes an introduction and live demonstration from 9 a.m. until 10:30 a.m., followed by a hands-on session from 10:30 a.m. until noon.

Seating is limited, so registration in advance is advised. For more information, phone or e-mail Yeswanth Rao, 781-273-3322.

Engineering gear available on the quad Friday
Engineering Communications and Media Relations is bringing their Engineering Gear store to the Engineering Quad on Friday, August 28, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. (weather permitting). This is your opportunity to buy Cornell Engineering T-shirts, sweatshirts, fleece jackets, water bottles, baseball caps, pens, and so much more. But if you miss the quad event, not to worry: you'll find the same great merchandise and prices online.

Guest speakers and seminars

CEAA Enterprise Engineering Seminar
Wednesdays, 4:30 p.m., B17 Upson Hall

2 Sep: Robert S. Page, ’90 ORIE, CEO and founding principal, Alpha Beta Fund Management: "Current challenges in financial engineering and asset management"

9 Sep: Sandy Narayan, MS ’77 MR, global business director, 3M: "Driving innovation speed at the customer: Product centric versus market centric models"

CBE Seminar
4:00 p.m., 165 Olin Hall
Refreshments at 3:45 p.m. in 128 Olin

31 Aug: Asst Prof. Michael King, Cornell BME: "Receptor-mediated adhesion of circulating cells"

Engineering Energy Seminar
12:20-1:20pm, 255 Olin Hall

3 Sep: John Tombari '81 ME, vice president, Schlumberger Carbon Services: "A Schlumberger Update on CO2 Storage" (see also GeoEngineering Seminar below)

GeoEngineering Seminar
3:30 p.m., 2146 Snee Hall; refreshments at 3:00 p.m. in the Reading Room

2 Sep: John Tombari '81 ME, vice president, Schlumberger Carbon Services: "CO2 capture and storage at Schlumberger" (See also Engineering Energy Seminar above)

MAE Colloquium
Fridays, 1:30 p.m.,205 Thurston Hall; refreshments at 2:30 p.m. in 206 Thurston.

4 Sep: Assoc. Prof. David Sinton, Mechanical Engineering, University of Victoria: "Flow-through microporous media and nanohole arrays: Energy and biomedical application"