Dear Colleagues and Friends,

It’s hard to believe how swiftly the fall semester has progressed. It’s a fitting moment to reflect on our collective achievements, ongoing initiatives, and the spirit of innovation at the Padnos College of Engineering and Computing.

This month, we shine a spotlight on the outstanding accomplishments of our students. Whether it’s our Society of Women Engineers participating in a professional development conference, students leading grant funded research projects, or the creation of a new student-led club, our students impress us with their passion and dedication. Their achievements not only make us proud but also serve as a testament to the caliber of individuals who call PCEC home.

Industry partners, please save the date for a collaborative panel discussion on “Demystifying the Visa process: A Business Guide to Hiring International Students” on Wednesday, February 21 from 8-10 AM at the Daniel and Pamella DeVos Center for Interprofessional Health. The goal of the panel is to help employers know what steps to take to hire an international student as an intern or employee. An invite and RSVP with additional details will be sent soon. We look forward to seeing you there!

As always, if you have questions or comments, follow this link to Connect with the Dean.

PCEC Project Day wouldn't be a success without our students and their hard work all semester long! PCEC Project Day will be held on December 7th from 9 am to 11 am in the Shape Corp. Innovation Design Center located on the PEW Campus in downtown Grand Rapids, MI. This tradition highlights our students and what they can achieve in a semester!

 

The Health Informatics and Bioinformatics Journal Club, led by Dr Suhila Sawesi, stemmed from a desire to create a collaborative platform where students could delve into recent topics in health and bioinformatics. 

The primary goal of the club is to cultivate skills in critically reading and summarizing academic papers, with a particular focus on understanding the methods and results. This is crucial in a field like health informatics, as staying abreast of cutting-edge research and methodologies is essential. By doing so, students not only enhance their academic knowledge but also develop practical skills that are directly applicable in the HIB industry. 

Read more about the HIB Journal Club here. 

Engineering excellence met Thanksgiving abundance at the Graduate Engineering Thanksgiving luncheon hosted by the School of Engineering. The Thanksgiving luncheon, hosted every year, is a way to thank industry partners for their mentorship of graduate engineering students, celebrate students’ many accomplishments during the semester, and recognize the hard work of faculty and staff who support the program and deliver an exceptional experiential education to our students.

The luncheon also provides a celebratory introduction for engineering international students to the uniquely American Thanksgiving holiday, and gives everyone involved a chance to reflect on the past year with gratitude and appreciation.

This years luncheon was hosted by School of Engineering Director, Dr. Wael Mokhtar and current Engineering Graduate Program Director, Dr. Samhita Rhodes. Provost, Fatma Mili, Padnos College of Engineering and Computing Dean, Paul Plotkowski and Dr Wael Mokhtar were the guest speakers and provided welcoming remarks. 

Visit the School of Engineering website.

 

The "Live Without Limits" WE23 Conference, hosted by the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), was the largest gathering of women in engineering and technology in 2023 featuring educational sessions, panel discussions, a career fair with around 300 exhibitors, and other special activities spanning three days.

For PCEC Engineering students Casey Kramarcyzk, Emily Sherry, Lily Adrysiak, and Hailey Siwek, the WE23 Conference offered a valuable opportunity to expand their personal networks and grow the GVSU SWE club network. A highlight was Lily Andrysiak's selection for mentorship from the sector vice president and general manager at Northrop Grumman during a raffle at a conference luncheon panel event, with many other networking opportunities also arising.

The GVSU SWE chapter's mission is to promote engineering as a rewarding career option for all students and encourage women to achieve their full potential. They aim to connect SWE members with the West Michigan community through networking events, service opportunities, group field trips, and educational outreach. Participation in the WE23 Conference was a valuable step toward achieving these objectives.

On the Monday of their Fall Break, members of GVSU’s Laker Racing Formula SAE team visited the Arrow McLaren IndyCar factory in Indianapolis.

Robert Wilmot, Director of Design and Production, conducted the tour which commenced at their new engineering trailer used for running simulations and gathering data on race weekends. Next, they visited the composite area where they were able to observe best practices in maintenance, repair, and testing carbon fiber parts and chassis.

While in the factory, they also toured the facility for practice pit stops which hosts the practice car and lastly got to meet the engineers who were working that day. During this meeting they were able to observe as the engineers worked and communicated virtually with engineers working in Florida to simultaneously conduct tests on a racecar. 

The tour concluded with a discussion with Gavin Ward, the team principal of Arrow McLaren, and Robert Wilmot. The conversation revolved around career opportunities in motorsport for engineers and how to take full advantage of them.

The Laker Racing Formula SAE team members found the factory visit highly informative and inspiring, equipping them with valuable knowledge about getting involved and furthering their careers into motorsport.

Two of the students also got their Fanatec McLaren GT3 Steering Wheels signed! They returned to GVSU both inspired and beaming! 

We are excited to share that we are starting a weekly #PeopleofPCEC series where we will be shining spotlights on the different people that make PCEC PCEC. This includes you our students, alumni and faculty!

To be part of the series, complete this form if you are a Student and this form if you are an Alumni.

We look forward to interacting with you all!💙

 

Dec 1: PSM Internship Showcase

Dec 7: PCEC Project Day

Dec 7: Data Science Internship Presentations

Dec 8 : HIB Internship Presentations

Dec 9th: Commencement

 

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