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Engineering: more than textbooks and exams  While some students have commenced the academic year and are dreading the mid semester exams which await, others have just finished their degrees - all that is left is to walk up on stage and be handed that important piece of paper at our graduation ceremony. I have just finished a masters and can’t wait for that exhilarating moment which will signal no more formal lectures or assignments. However, gaining an undergraduate degree, diploma or masters is not all about text books, exams, assignments and practicals. Since Engineers Australia launched its Make It So campaign, many people all around Australia have wondered how do engineers Make It So? Members of the general community as well as many engineers themselves often have difficulty expressing what engineers actually do. In a recent survey commissioned by Engineers Australia, parents indicated engineering as one of the top three professions (out of 20) that they would like their children to go into, yet when asked to explain what engineering was or what an engineer did, many of them were unable to describe easily, if at all, what engineers do or what engineering entails. Engineers need not only sound technical skills and ability, but also other skills such as communicating effectively in both written and verbal form, having common sense, showing initiative and being a leader. Employers look for these attributes in their upcoming young engineers. While not formally taught at university or in the classroom, these are life skills which can be partly acquired by experience and enhanced by practice. A number of young engineers have taken the opportunity to acquire and enhance these skills by becoming actively involved in their local Young Engineers group. Visit www.engineersaustralia.org.au/yea and click on division groups to find your local group. Finally, Young Engineers Australia and the Centre for Engineering Leadership and Management are jointly hosting the 2010 Engineering Leadership Conference. This is a great opportunity to network and discover how to make the most of your leadership skills and opportunities. Enjoy the year ahead; and remember engineering is so much more than just text books and exams! Carla Cher is chair of the Young Engineers Australia National Committee. |
YOUNG ENGINEERS ONLINE COMMUNITY Victoria Division: |
Scholarship for leadership conference Female engineering students and graduates are invited to apply for a scholarship offered by Engineers Australia’s Women in Engineering National Committee to attend the 2010 Leadership Conference to be held in Brisbane on 5-7 May. The scholarship aims to support female engineers who may not otherwise have the opportunity to attend such a conference. Female engineers working in regional areas are encouraged to apply. Five subsidised mentor registration packages are also available to enable a senior engineer and the applicant to attend together. The scholarship will comprise full registration of the mentor package, return airfares and accommodation for the scholarship winner. The five subsidised mentor packages are valued at $500. To be eligible, female entrants must have a recognised qualification, or be currently enrolled in a recognised engineering course, and be members of Engineers Australia. For more information contact Katrina Chisholm at kchisholm@engineersaustralia.org.au. Applications close 20 March. |
Tiny sensors for everyday life Students from the Australian National University and University of Queensland are working together with CSIRO to use special technology known as Fleck Nano for sensing and tracking applications. Fleck Nano is wireless sensor technology that can be extended to measure environment variables such as temperature or sound levels. Working under CSIRO ICT Centre researcher Phil Valencia, software engineering student David Kooymans and electrical engineering student Blake Newman have been working on a miniature version of the sensor nodes, incorporating them into everyday items such as pens and staplers to investigate what life could be like if the sensors became part of every day life. “We’re aiming to enable a level of ubiquitous sensing that hasn’t been experienced yet and see how it impacts on day-to-day office activities,” Valencia said. With the tiny devices communicating via radio waves, the two students are also faced with the challenge of reducing the energy consumption of the nodes as well as finding alternative ways other than batteries to power them, such as using energy from light.  Blake Newman and David Kooymans. |
Graduate recruitment starts up for 2011 Career advisory organisation Graduate Careers Australia has released its Graduate Opportunities Directory online. Research undertaken by Graduate Careers Australia revealed that with Australia’s economy recovering, 21.1% of employers indicated their intention to increase the scale of their graduate programs for next year. 29% of surveyed employers last year scaled back their 2010 graduate intake and a further 5% suspended their programs altogether due to the economic downturn. The survey also found that many employers considered graduates’ employment histories as the single most important aspect of their resumes. Graduates who missed out in 2009 and applied for work experience instead, would have an advantage over those who didn’t. |
Virtual career fair Graduate Careers Australia will take career fairs in a new direction with the introduction of the 2010 Virtual Career Fair. The fair can be viewed at http://www.vcf.graduatecareers.com.au from 22-31 March. Employers will set up information and presentations for download, as well as providing interactive content such as one-on-one web chats, video conferences, interview games and learning tools. For those more accustomed to the “freebies” available at traditional career fairs, Graduate Careers Australia said there are still prizes to be won every day of the fair, with exhibitors also running their own competitions. |
Students present nano research Students Tom Higgins, Nick Whiteside and Chris Hansen of the University of Wollongong presented their research projects at the 2010 International Conference On Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICONN) held in Sydney on 22-26 February. This was a rare honour, as papers at the conference are usually presented by senior researchers who have made significant achievements in their respective fields. Hansen presented his third year research project titled “Three-dimensional, reticular, nanostructured thin film molybdenum oxide electrodes for lithium-ion batteries prepared by electrostatic spray deposition”. Whiteside and Higgins presented their honours research projects titled “Novel graphene-biopolymer composites as unique materials for bionics applications” and “Improving the neural tissue interface with gellan gum-polypyrrole modified electrodes” respectively. |
Surface computing gets new software As part of his PhD thesis, University of Sydney student Anthony Collins is developing new software designed to allow the interaction of files from devices such as laptop computers and mobile phones with surface computers. Surface computers are computers that interact with users via the surface of an ordinary object, usually a tabletop. Users interact with the computer by tapping or dragging their fingers along the surface, or by placing devices against the surface which are then recognised and able to interact with the surface computer. Surface computing devices are beginning to appear on the market with the advent of Microsoft’s Surface. However, at prices starting at $21,000, the technology seems far out of reach for the average person. While cheap, open source alternatives exist for the tech-savvy to create their own multiuser, multitouch surfaces, a major roadblock is the ability to share files that are arranged in different hierarchies, or even different file systems. Collins, working with PhD student Trent Apted and Professor Judy Kay, aims to bridge the gap by creating software that enables users to make full use of surface computers. Collins' project enables users to quickly navigate files by creating relationships with other files and having these files, regardless of where they are stored, on demand. Such applications overcome limitations of surface computing like the absence of keyboard and mouse input and user orientation dependence. More information, including a demonstration of the software, can be found on the project website. |
Career fair in Sydney The Young Engineers Australia Sydney (YEAS) Careers Expo to be held on 18 March in Sydney will provide engineering students with the opportunity to obtain information about graduate employment in the engineering industry. Exhibitors will answer questions about graduate employment in their organisations. A panel of five speakers will offer students helpful tips about obtaining their dream job. Students will also be able to collect brochures and contact details. At the start of the evening, all companies exhibiting will be introduced by name and area of expertise. The expo will be held at the Coles Theatre and Powerhouse Learning Centre, Powerhouse Museum, 500 Harris Street in Ultimo from 5:30pm to 8:30pm. Entry is free for Engineers Australia members. Non-members can apply for student membership to Engineers Australia at https://fwas.engineersaustralia.org.au/osapp/step1.jsp A full list of exhibitors as well as registration forms for the expo can be found at http://www.yeas_careers_expo.eventsbot.com. For further information contact yeasyd@engineersaustralia.org.au. |
Career fair in Melbourne The 2010 Engineering Expo will be held on 25 March. It will promote engineering employment opportunities, celebrate Victorian engineering excellence and advocate the importance of engineering leadership. More than 70 organisations will be attending to provide students with information about engineering employment, education, careers, and leadership. Students will also be able to attend free seminars, receive resume advice, network with colleagues, peers and prospective employers, and hear about each organisation's current projects. The expo will be held at Etihad Stadium, Docklands from 2pm to 7pm. Entry is free, but students must register online at http://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/divisions/victoria-division/engineering-expo/careers-expo_home.cfm. For further information contact ndossantos@engineersaustralia.org.au. |
RMIT student wins scholarship A reinvigorated scholarship called the ABC Women in Broadcast Technology Scholarship has been presented to RMIT student Tseada Zekarias who is studying for her advanced diploma of electrical engineering. The scholarship is part of an ongoing national ABC initiative to increase the representation of women in technical roles. Each year the ABC provides up to eight scholarships, awarded to women undertaking a technical discipline at a TAFE institution and committed to a career in broadcasting. The scholarship includes four weeks paid on-the-job training in the technical areas of the ABC, and a $1000 book allowance. Zekarias has been studying since 2008 and is in the final year of her diploma where she has obtained first class results. Her strongest subjects are programming and circuit design though she is interested in branching into an electronics specific course such as the diploma in electronics or a degree in electrical engineering.  RMIT student Tseada Zekarias receives her award from ABC state director of Victoria Randal Mathisedon (I) and ABC manager of technical services in Victoria Donato Morganella. |
