Fourth ME Business & Careers
Conference a Success

The Fourth Annual ME Alumni Career Celebration attracted 184 alumni, students, faculty, and staff members for an afternoon of technical talks, career advice, networking, and student presentations. Attendees included five previous DCAs—Don Cohee, David Bach, Bill Mavity, Pat Reynolds, and John Thackrah.

Highlights of the event included a keynote address by UD President Patrick Harker and presentation of Distinguished Career Awards (DCA) to five alumni. Following the awards ceremony, the DCA recipients shared their career and life experiences in a panel discussion.

The dual-track format offered attendees the opportunity to choose the sessions most relevant to them, and the consensus was that this year’s format was “just right.”

“The feedback I got from alumni, students, and guests was that the breakout sessions had the right blend of technical information and career planning ideas and that the presentations were interesting and entertaining,” says Pat Reynolds (BME1967).

“I think the event provides a great opportunity for alumni to catch up with each other and with what’s going on at the University,” says Alumni Coordinator Nate Cloud (BME1965). “And for students, it’s a chance to gain valuable insights from some very distinguished alumni from the 1960s, 70s, and 80s.”

“At the same time,” he continues, “the regular sessions offer them the chance to hear from some more-recent alumni whose careers were launched within the last decade.”

Research talks by current faculty focused on work in two areas with biomedical applications: the use of robotics for training and neuro-rehabilitation by Prof. Sunil Agrawal and the biomechanics of knee arthritis by Prof. Jill Higginson.

Two students provided highlights of Senior Design projects. Marykate Wioncek (BME2008) provided highlights of her team’s Vibration Fatigue Tester for Southco’s Compression Latches, while Julianne Twomey (BME2008) described her team’s project to remove heat from a new Black&Decker Drill.

Alumni shared insights gained over their many years in the business world. Shawn and Dina Riley (both BME1998) addressed the workplace from the viewpoint of an episode of “Survivor,” and Pat Reynolds (BME1967) and Jim Hutchison (BME1978) talked about business practices in a global economy. Steve Andersen (BME1990) covered research at the University of Delaware Center for Composite Materials.

During the panel discussion, moderated by Prof. Mike Santare, the five Distinguished Career Alumni fielded a number of questions from the audience regarding such issues as career transitions and maintaining balance in life.

In his keynote address, President Harker said that the future will demand a blending of business, economics, and engineering. “Engineers will be at the heart of it,” he said, “using creativity to produce new things and solve problems.”

by Diane Kukich