Current Issue
(Fall 2005)
What’s New?
Scholars Everywhere
I wish all of our alumni could have attended the Speed School Honors and Awards banquet at the Seelbach Hotel on April 13. It personified the best of Speed School and engineering education. The room was filled with several hundred scholars, proud parents, faculty, staff and friends, including alumni. It was a truly inspiring evening.
Even if you weren’t there, your presence was felt. For example, departmental prizes were awarded in your name as a member of the Speed School Alumni Association. This was in addition to scholarship money awarded by your alumni council to entice the best and brightest to attend Speed.
Your alumni council supports Speed School in several ways, including:
- screening alumni scholarship applicants and sponsoring a separate dinner for award winners the first of each school year. This is the work of Jay Mazzoni and the alumni council scholarship committee.
- being involved with the student council in Engineers’ Days. We helped E-Days chairman Andy Gross by attending planning meetings with students and faculty, suggesting speakers and supplying judges. Our publicity committee headed by Phil Hambrick gave support in that area.
- attending many important boards and committees. Our past president, Ralph Rice, has been a member of the search committee for a new dean. Our council president-elect, Stacey Guilford, is Speed’s representative on the University Alumni Association board where she helps spread the word about Speed, participates in board functions and keeps us informed about what the board and other councils are doing. As president I served as our representative on several committees to aid the dean in recommending alumni, faculty and staff for awards.
- developing programs to help students. Our mentoring committee headed by Jana Godwin has looked at several approaches to best help upperclass students develop professional skills such as networking.
- starting new programs such as a Speed School lunch bunch. All alumni are invited to join Tom Herman and me for lunch at the University Club Pub at 12:30 p.m. the first Thursday of each month. So far we have a small group, but it represents five class years. No reservations are required; just show up for the fellowship.
Our Challenge to You
Alums: Become an active participant helping Speed School by becoming part of our board, serving on one of our committees or just joining us for lunch. If you can’t participate otherwise, just send money.
Students: Remain in touch after graduation through the Speed School Web site and Alumni Association.
By the time you read this we will have a new dean. Let’s help him get off to a good start as he endeavors to make Speed an even greater engineering school.
Dick Ernst '53S
President, Speed School Alumni Council
