Spring Break Relaxation

Erica Toussant,
Senior, Civil Engineering

Athens, OH 12 March 2013 – Over this year’s spring break, I took a week vacation in Florida. The break was early March so the northern part of FL was still cold. Luckily, I was down in Fort Lauderdale/Miami area. I was going to visit my boyfriend and some of his family he was staying with as he trained for the NFL draft.

I woke up super early the first Saturday of the break to drive to Columbus to catch my flight at 7:50am. I grabbed my backpack (I packed very light!) and was on my way. After a quick layover at the first stop, I landed in Florida around 1:00pm. It wasn’t as warm as I had hoped, but it certainly was much warmer than Ohio, and the temperature gradually increased throughout my stay. I got to spend the rest of Saturday and all of Sunday with my boyfriend. We spent this time by going to the movies, grabbing desserts at a fancy restaurant at the top of a building in South Beach, eating a home cooked meal with his aunt and uncle, and just relaxing by the pool at his cousin’s place.

Throughout the week, while he was training, I found ways to occupy myself. I read a really great book while I sat at the pool, looked around shops that I really had no business looking in considering the outrageous price tags, and taking walks on the beach. His aunt and uncle and a couple of her friends took me to the beach the one day. So, I got to meet these new people who are from other parts of Ohio.

Unfortunately halfway through the week, I woke up with sun poisoning and had to skip my scheduled trip to a nearby beach. I used the day to do some laundry and catch up on some shows and some sleep, but I made sure the following days were spent in the sun.

The trip was relaxing and exactly what I needed in the middle of this busy semester. It was a spring break to remember, not one about the usual college spring break trips, but one about me meeting new people, catching some rays, and learning an awesome new game called rummikub.

ISE Senior Design: O’ Bleness Surgical Equipment

Steve Burns,
Senior, Industrial and Systems Engineering

Athens, OH 7 March 2013 – As a senior in the industrial and systems engineering program, I am currently involved in our program’s senior design class. The senior project involves the class splitting into groups of 3 or 4 people, and taking on a project for a real world company. My groups project is with the local hospital in Athens, O’Bleness Memorial Hospital. These real world projects are a great way to close out the years spent in school and prepare you for a career upon graduation.

The project my team has involves the movement of surgical equipment through the operating rooms at the hospital. We are investigating the reasons that items may be missing from an operating room when a surgery is set to begin. The overall goal of the project is to create a more efficient flow of items from inventory to individual operating rooms, ensuring that no surgical items are missing.

I am really enjoying this opportunity to work on this project. The senior capstone course really helps to bring together all the tools and concepts I have learned, and gives a better understanding on when to use these tools. Working on real world projects such as this gives a much bigger picture than regular textbook problems. There is not one single way to solve the problems you come across, and you need to reason to even determine what the best way to solve the problem is.

I am very grateful that ISE requires capstone courses such as these. It is another great learning tool at our exposure and is a wonderful way to bring a collegiate career to a close.

Career Fairs

Paul Barina,
Senior, Industrial and Systems Engineering

Athens, OH 25 February 2013 – As a soon-to-be-graduating senior here at Ohio University, I decided it was
best to attend any career fairs Ohio University had to offer. The career fairs are a great place to visit to look for work or an internship. Last week, there were two on campus and there was an excitement in the air regardless of why anyone was there.

On Tuesday, there were around 100 companies present for the campus-wide career fair at Baker Center Ballroom. With so many companies and so many
young college students dressed in their best, I could not help but get excited. One great aspect about the career fair is that there are many industries that are present. I saw and spoke to companies within the automotive, medical, food, and general manufacturing industries. This variety of industry allowed me to see what was really out there. Then on Thursday, there was a second career fair just for companies looking to hire Russ College students.

When surveying the options, it was important that I home in on all the engineering companies and more specifically the ones that offer Industrial
Engineering jobs. Once I had identified them, it was time to go show them what I was all about. This part is crucial. I knew that I as a young engineering student did not have long to impress the professionals present. These professionals could be anything from a Human Resource expert to an engineering manager and I knew they knew exactly what to ask and what they wanted to see in me and the other soon to be graduates. When approaching recruiters, I couldn’t help but feel a rush of excitement along with the given nervousness. These nerves might show a little as the first conversations occur, but it is easy to get in a good groove and just rock it as time goes on.

Of course, being able to feel good at the career fair took me quite a good amount of practice. There are resources within the university and Russ College that have helped me secure practice and training to know exactly how to dress, what to say, and even tuning up my resume. The Russ College of Engineering now has a class where undergraduates can go and receive all this vital information weekly.

Overall, I always leave the career fairs put on by Ohio University with a great feeling. I always feel a sense of pride as I leave, knowing I am not only working toward my future career academically through schoolwork but also professionally.

Aviation Fraternity Alpha Eta Rho

Grant Rhue,
Junior, Aviation

Athens, OH 24 February 2013 – For the three years I have been in the Department of Aviation here at Ohio University undergoing flight training, I have been an active member of the fraternity, Alpha Eta Rho. The Omicron Upsilon chapter or “hangar” of the international flight oriented fraternity has been a major part of my college career varying from helping me study for check rides and certifications for flying to networking with other flight schools and industry professionals throughout the country. We have toured various aviation facilities including United Airline’s Washington’s Dulles flight operations to the freight operations of Air Net in Columbus, learning more and more into what each pilot job requires and what it takes to keep such large operations moving day to day.

Last year, our chapter participated in the first ever national conference hosted by the Omicron Sigma Upsilon Chapter of Ohio State University in Dublin, Ohio. All of our members
participated in breakout sessions varying from different subjects of fundraising to alumni connections. My breakout group worked on the national bylaws of the fraternity, which were run
by the president of the Fraternity, Capt. Robert H. Clement who had flown with Tom Cruise in the F-14 Tomcat for the shooting of the movie, Top Gun.

We are preparing to go to Kalamazoo, Michigan this April to attend the second annual Alpha Eta Rho National Conference, hosted by the Theta Chapter of Western Michigan University. We will be participating again with the other hangars from all across the country in the breakout sessions again and will be taking part in the Student Leaders in Aviation Conference, or SLACON.

English Classes are Important Too

Colton Moran,
Junior, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

Athens, OH 17 February 2013 – As an engineer, I don’t always have the chance to explore my interests by taking classes outside my major. So when a class is required and of great interest to me outside of engineering it’s like striking gold. This semester I am taking a English 3080J course that is themed on medieval times. The class is so different than most classes I have taken and it has shown me that I have a real interest in writing as well as reading medieval literature. The first portion of the class was based off a reading by Chrétien de Troyes, a story he wrote called “Yvain the Knight with the Lion”. It was a Romantic novel that to my surprise was a great read. It contained action, romance and deep rooted symbolism that unlike most literature spurred my interested. Then after having the chance to read such a great novel we were assigned to write one.

This is where I truly got a chance to experience something new in college–never before have I been asked to tap into my creative side to such an extent. I really enjoyed the release from such an analytic approach to homework assignments and papers that are part of the engineering curriculum. I enjoyed it to the point that I wrote 4000 words or 10 pages for an assignment that was only supposed to be 1100 words or 3-4 pages. This ambition to write so much didn’t come from the fact that I was looking to increase my grade, but came about because after taking so many engineering courses this class was something I could enjoy and not stress out about.

In all, it may just be the beginning of the semester but this English course has been a great way for me to experience more of my creative side. This mixed with my engineering courses has the makings of a great semester and I for one am excited to mix it up and work both the left and right sides of my brain.

Mechanical Engineering Design

Scott Kostohryz,
Junior, Mechanical Engineering

Athens, OH 11 February 2013 – This semester is shaping up to be a very fun and rewarding one. I am in several classes where I will be designing, testing, and evaluating a part and or mechanism as a member of a team. I very much enjoy Computer Aided Design (ME 3510) and in Machine Design (ME 3700), our group is going to be designing a radial engine. The task will not be an easy one, but it will be very exciting to see it completed. Our team wants to reduce the weight of the engine as well as try and make it more efficient. I cannot wait until we have it moving.

In machine design, we have already had a few design projects. In one assignment, our group was to design a trailer hitch. In another assignment, we designed a shear pin and support for a hydraulic ram. We used our previous knowledge from strengths of materials and applied it to the design. Then, through the use of Inventor and Solid Edge, we verified our results by doing a stress analysis.

In many of my classes this semester, I see much of what I have learned apply and the knowledge I have gained be built upon. For example, our group will be using strengths, dynamics, thermodynamics, and physics when designing and testing the radial engine. This knowledge will also be used in our team design projects in machine design.

I am beginning to see how much I really enjoy mechanical engineering. Mechanical engineers are very important and involved all the way along the design process. They are there from the initial design to the analysis, prototyping and on to the testing, and mass production. As I have said, I enjoy working with CAD and 3D design. I hope I can continue to design and maybe make it a career. It is rewarding to have an idea come from pen and paper to a digital model, and then become physical part.

Winter Activities at OU

Erica Toussant,
Senior, Civil Engineering

Athens, OH 4 February 2013 – Athens can get pretty cold in the winter time with the unpredictable weather. While this makes walking to class undesirable, there are other activities worth braving the wind and snow for including 1) the men’s basketball games 2) Ohio Hockey games and 3) recreational skating hours at Bird Arena.

The men’s basketball program has been progressing over the last few years, and of course, last year they made it to the Sweet Sixteen. This has only intensified the atmosphere surrounding basketball season. The Ozone could quite possibly be one of the best student cheering sections. With everyone chanting together and the pep band playing classic OU songs, you can’t help but get pumped up during the game. If you want some school spirit, the varsity men’s basketball games are a sure way to get it.

Bird Arena isn’t exactly the most noticeable building on campus, but it holds some fun and exciting events. Men’s Hockey can be a pretty big deal. Though it’s not a varsity sport, opponents can be from pretty big schools across the country. It’s awesome how fast the game is played, and the drama and fights between players is an added bonus to the experience.

For a little more participation on your part at Bird, recreational skating occurs on Tuesday and Thursday nights as well as weekends. Students get in free, though skates can be rented for a few dollars. It’s a great place to go with friends, and in my case, try something new. Bird Arena is where I first ice skated. I could possibly be the worst ice skater ever, but it sure was fun. As I continue to go back every now and then, I am improving. Whether it be hockey or ice skating, be sure to dress warm because you really won’t escape much of the cold in Bird.