Category Archives: Engineering
Are tomorrow’s engineers ready to face AI’s ethical challenges? – The Conversation
A chatbot turns hostile. A test version of a Roomba vacuum collects images of users in private situations. A Black woman is falsely identified as a suspect on the basis of facial recognition software, which tends to be less accurate at identifying women and people of color.
These incidents are not just glitches, but examples of more fundamental problems. As artificial intelligence and machine learning tools become more integrated into daily life, ethical considerations are growing, from privacy issues and race and gender biases in coding to the spread of misinformation.
The general public depends on software engineers and computer scientists to ensure these technologies are created in a safe and ethical manner. As a sociologist and doctoral candidate interested in science, technology, engineering and math education, we are currently researching how engineers in many different fields learn and understand their responsibilities to the public.
Yet our recent research, as well as that of other scholars, points to a troubling reality: The next generation of engineers often seem unprepared to grapple with the social implications of their work. Whats more, some appear apathetic about the moral dilemmas their careers may bring just as advances in AI intensify such dilemmas.
As part of our ongoing research, we interviewed more than 60 electrical engineering and computer science masters students at a top engineering program in the United States. We asked students about their experiences with ethical challenges in engineering, their knowledge of ethical dilemmas in the field and how they would respond to scenarios in the future.
First, the good news: Most students recognized potential dangers of AI and expressed concern about personal privacy and the potential to cause harm like how race and gender biases can be written into algorithms, intentionally or unintentionally.
One student, for example, expressed dismay at the environmental impact of AI, saying AI companies are using more and more greenhouse power, [for] minimal benefits. Others discussed concerns about where and how AIs are being applied, including for military technology and to generate falsified information and images.
When asked, however, Do you feel equipped to respond in concerning or unethical situations? students often said no.
Flat out no. It is kind of scary, one student replied. Do YOU know who Im supposed to go to?
Another was troubled by the lack of training: I [would be] dealing with that with no experience. Who knows how Ill react.
Other researchers have similarly found that many engineering students do not feel satisfied with the ethics training they do receive. Common training usually emphasizes professional codes of conduct, rather than the complex socio-technical factors underlying ethical decision-making. Research suggests that even when presented with particular scenarios or case studies, engineering students often struggle to recognize ethical dilemmas.
Accredited engineering programs are required to include topics related to professional and ethical responsibilities in some capacity.
Yet ethics training is rarely emphasized in the formal curricula. A study assessing undergraduate STEM curricula in the U.S. found that coverage of ethical issues varied greatly in terms of content, amount and how seriously it is presented. Additionally, an analysis of academic literature about engineering education found that ethics is often considered nonessential training.
Many engineering faculty express dissatisfaction with students understanding, but report feeling pressure from engineering colleagues and students themselves to prioritize technical skills in their limited class time.
Researchers in one 2018 study interviewed over 50 engineering faculty and documented hesitancy and sometimes even outright resistance toward incorporating public welfare issues into their engineering classes. More than a quarter of professors they interviewed saw ethics and societal impacts as outside real engineering work.
About a third of students we interviewed in our ongoing research project share this seeming apathy toward ethics training, referring to ethics classes as just a box to check off.
If Im paying money to attend ethics class as an engineer, Im going to be furious, one said.
These attitudes sometimes extend to how students view engineers role in society. One interviewee in our current study, for example, said that an engineers responsibility is just to create that thing, design that thing and tell people how to use it. [Misusage] issues are not their concern.
One of us, Erin Cech, followed a cohort of 326 engineering students from four U.S. colleges. This research, published in 2014, suggested that engineers actually became less concerned over the course of their degree about their ethical responsibilities and understanding the public consequences of technology. Following them after they left college, we found that their concerns regarding ethics did not rebound once these new graduates entered the workforce.
When engineers do receive ethics training as part of their degree, it seems to work.
Along with engineering professor Cynthia Finelli, we conducted a survey of over 500 employed engineers. Engineers who received formal ethics and public welfare training in school are more likely to understand their responsibility to the public in their professional roles, and recognize the need for collective problem solving. Compared to engineers who did not receive training, they were 30% more likely to have noticed an ethical issue in their workplace and 52% more likely to have taken action.
Over a quarter of these practicing engineers reported encountering a concerning ethical situation at work. Yet approximately one-third said they have never received training in public welfare not during their education, and not during their career.
This gap in ethics education raises serious questions about how well-prepared the next generation of engineers will be to navigate the complex ethical landscape of their field, especially when it comes to AI.
To be sure, the burden of watching out for public welfare is not shouldered by engineers, designers and programmers alone. Companies and legislators share the responsibility.
But the people who are designing, testing and fine-tuning this technology are the publics first line of defense. We believe educational programs owe it to them and the rest of us to take this training seriously.
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Are tomorrow's engineers ready to face AI's ethical challenges? - The Conversation
Engineering work underway in Glo Fiber project to reach 5 Ohio communities – Broadband Communities
Glo Fiber has announced plans to deploy fiber to a slate of Ohio communities, with work already underway in some towns and cities.
By: Brad Randall,Broadband Communities
Over 40,000 homes and businesses will have access to Glo Fibers fiber-optic network when network construction in five Ohio communities is completed, according to a recent announcement from the Shentel-owned internet provider.
The efforts are part of Glo Fibers emphasis on Ohio as a key market, the release stated.
The companys announcement revealed that engineering work on the network has already begun. When completed, the network will connect to Zanesville, Hillsboro, Jackson, Johnstown, and Greenfield.
According to Ed McKay, Shentels COO, Glo Fiber now passes over a quarter million different locations in Ohio, Virginia, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Maryland with a network that spans over 15,000 miles.
In Ohio, the company currently provides fiber-to-the-home broadband services in Chillicothe, Circleville, Lancaster, and Washington Courthouse, the companys April 19 announcement stated.
Glo Fiber has expanded rapidly over the past five years, and we now pass approximately 250,000 homes and businesses with our leading-edge fiber optic networks, McKay said. We focus on providing outstanding customer service and exceptional network reliability, and we are very excited to expand our 100% fiber-optic network to additional communities in Ohio.
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Engineering work underway in Glo Fiber project to reach 5 Ohio communities - Broadband Communities
USDA grant creates rare three-college collaboration between Polytechnic, Agriculture, Engineering faculty – Purdue … – Purdue Polytechnic Institute
An ongoing research grant awarded last year by the United States Department of Agricultures National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA NIFA) has prompted new levels of cross-college collaboration between Purdue faculty.
Robert Nawrocki, Purdue Polytechnics principal investigator on the grant, is an assistant professor in the School of Engineering Technology specializing in organic electronics and sensors. Nawrocki has brought Darrin Karcher from the College of Agriculture and Thomas Siegmund from the College of Engineering onto the project as co-principal investigators.
Nawrocki provided some language from the teams original grant proposal, which clarifies some of the points of collaboration in this research:
Up to 73% of egg laying hens experience catastrophic and sometimes even fatal changes to their keel bone. Besides the humanitarian aspect of animal suffering, it has direct financial consequences for farmers and consumers alike.
This research aims to develop and deploy new sensors, as well as construct an animal computer model, to (finally) determine the root causes of the problem. As expressed by our industry partners, the results of our investigations will be used to re-design bird housing, including changes to perch, nest and litter area(s), to minimize or eliminate the keel bone damage.
The project will implement patent-pending sensor technology, and the research background which has guided the methodology includes the works listed here:
"Effect of Additive Manufacturing on -Phase Poly(Vinylidene Fluoride)-Based Capacitive Temperature Sensors"Fan, et al.
"Electric poling-assisted additive manufacturing technique for piezoelectric active poly(vinylidene fluoride) films: Towards fully three-dimensional printed functional materials"Fan, et al.
"Capacitive sensors and methods and apparatuses for producing capacitive sensors"Nawrocki, et al.
"Piezoelectric sensors and methods and apparatuses for producing piezoelectric sensors"Nawrocki, et al.
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S M Ashik Rahman Perseverance Award | Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering – University of Colorado Boulder
Architectural Engineering
Post graduation plans:Lighting Designer, SmithGroup
The Perseverance Award recognizes undergraduate students who persevere despite adversity above and beyond the inherent perseverance needed in any engineering major.
What is your favorite memory from your time at CU Boulder? It's hard to choose just one favorite memory from my time at CU Boulder, but I can say that the people I met throughout my journey here will always stay in my memory. The professors, classmatesand friends I made have been crucial to my experience. Without their guidance and support, my journey wouldn't have been as smooth, and I might not be where I am today. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them all.
What accomplishment are you most proud of, either academically or personally? I am personally very proud to see my parents happy about my accomplishments, but I am equally proud that after all these years, the knowledge I gathered will finally be put to use in helping people in the real world and improving their lives. The experiences and learning I gained over the past few yearsfrom various classes, participation in different student organizations and involvement in on-campus activitiesconstitute my greatest accomplishment. This accomplishment will be truly fulfilled if I can use everything I have learned to make at least one person's life easier.
Tell us about a moment (or moments) when you felt like you hit your stride or felt like you were officially an engineer. The moment occurred during the recent Ring and Pin Ceremony. As I began to realize my professional and ethical responsibilities to society and people, I truly felt like an engineer for the first time.
What was the biggest challenge for you during your engineering education? What did you learn from it? After completing my first year of college, I neededto take a gap year and never thought I would be able to start again. However, my determination and passion helped me return and continue my journey without losing hope. The biggest lesson I've learned from my experience is that maintaining your determination will ultimately help you achieve your goals.
What is your biggest piece of advice for incoming engineering students? If you find yourselfin a bad situation physically, academicallyor emotionally, never lose hope. Be strong and try to keep yourself motivated. Try to work hard untilthe last moment. Nothing is impossible if you are honest with yourself and your effort. Be involved with the community. Dont hesitate to reach out, whether toyour professor, friends, classmatesor academic tutoring services. Taking the first step is essential. Being involved with the community will help you grow and will open up many opportunities you could not imagine. We are lucky to have a community like CU Boulder engineering. Also, as I mentioned before, getting involved in the community is essential for personal growth, and helping your community to grow is also crucial because it is possible to change the world if we all work together.
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Engineering the future: FRCE engineers help high schoolers compete in unmanned aerial vehicle competition – New Bern Sun Journal
With the help of Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) engineers, teams of Eastern North Carolina high school students geared up for the 2024 Ultimate Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UUAV) Competition April 13 in Newport.
FRCEs STEM Outreach Team joined forces with Craven Community College and North Carolina State University to host the third UUAV Competition at the Crystal Coast Radio Control Club, where teams of high school students entered their unmanned aerial vehicles in hopes of winning.
According to FRCE Executive Director Mark Meno, the UUAV competition aids in the inspiration of the next generation of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) professionals.
Our goal for these events is to educate and inspire. Supporting events like this not only reinforces our commitment to STEM education, but also strengthens the depots commitment to the community, said Meno. By inspiring local students to explore STEM-based career paths, were not just shaping the next generation of engineers and aviation professionals; were fostering a more innovative future workforce for Eastern North Carolina.
Teams of students representing seven high schools Croatan, West Carteret, Gramercy Christian, Early College of Eastern Applied Science and Technology (EAST), Havelock, New Bern and Pamlico participated in the competition. Fifteen engineers from FRCE volunteered to coach the seven teams throughout the process, said Carli Starnes, a mechanical engineer with the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) C-130 Long Term Readiness Structures Fleet Support Team (FST) at FRCE.
The students have been preparing for the competition for quite some time, said Starnes. We held an informational workshop for the students and teachers in November of 2023 and officially kicked off the event in January. After the kickoff event, our engineers visited each high school once a week to guide the students through the process of building their UAV.
The annual competition offers local high school students the opportunity to learn more about engineering and aerodynamics from a STEM professional, according to De Aundria Scott, a mechanical engineer on the Unmanned Aerial Systems FST who served as a mentor for the team representing Pamlico High School.
This really gives the students a taste of what engineering looks like and the types of things they can do within engineering, said Scott. The teams learn quite a lot about teamwork while they go through the engineering design and building process, which includes brainstorming solutions, listing pros and cons, building, testing and, if needed, rebuilding.
Many students emphasized how beneficial the competition has been for them, including Blake Randolph from Gramercy Christian School in Newport.
I want to go into aerospace engineering, and this was a great opportunity for me to start working on these kinds of things, said Randolph. This whole process has been very informational and offered us a good learning experience.
Sophia Mendolia from Croatan High School said participating in this competition was not only fun, but will also help the students stand out in competitive educational settings.
This event gives us a head start, said Mendolia. It gives us the opportunity to get our feet wet by starting to learn about engineering principles and building an aircraft. And we get to take what we have learned in our aerospace classes at school and apply it to the aircraft we just made. Its a great way to get hands-on experience and learn more.
Each team was graded based on four different categories: maneuverability, speed, safety checklist and overall presentation, as evaluated by a panel of leaders from FRCE and Craven Community College. Croatan High School took first place in the competition for the second year running, followed by Pamlico High School and New Bern High School. West Carteret High Schools team earned the title of best in show for creating the most visually striking UAV design and was presented with a plaque for this achievement.
According to Elton Fairless, Unmanned Aerial Systems FST team lead, each group of students was given a list of guidelines to help them throughout the process.
We gave them a list of requirements for the project back in January, said Fairless. This project isnt just about building a model aircraft or drone. We teach the students the engineering process by going through a list of requirements for their UAV and having them make a presentation that explains their thought processes, design features and concepts.
Though the students are given a list of requirements for their UAV project, Fairless said they are encouraged to use creativity and innovation in their design process.
The UAVs are predominantly made of foam board, but the students are allowed to add other parts to their aircraft, Fairless continued. Many schools are using more 3D printed parts, whether it be structural reinforcements or aerodynamic enhancements. I am always very impressed with what they come up with.
The FRCE FABLAB, a mobile makerspace used by the depots STEM Outreach Team to bring STEM concepts and equipment directly to students, was present at the event to assist the students with any adjustments or repairs.
Each team is given a toolkit for their aircraft, but the toolkit only has so much, said Scott. Since the aircraft are made of lightweight and fragile materials, its common for them to need repairs between flights, especially as we are seeing them travel over 60 miles per hour today. The FABLAB offers the students a one-stop-shop for those repairs whether its last-minute 3-D printing or simply needing a different drill bit.
STEM Outreach Team Lead Randall Lewis noted how mentorship is an important facet of the UUAV competition.
This competition is great in terms of mentorship as it allows us to engage directly with the high school students, said Lewis. Our engineers work one-on-one with the students for many weeks, expanding their knowledge of aviation and engineering concepts and even career opportunities.
This program really helps us on our education pipeline, Lewis continued. And hopefully it will get the kids excited to pursue the internship opportunities, Department of Defense Science, Mathematics and Research for Transformation Scholarships, or any of the other opportunities we offer at FRC East.
The annual UUAV Competition is just one of the many outreach events supported by FRCE, all with the goal of giving students the tools they need for their future career, according to Abigail Digsby, a mechanical engineer with the depots STEM Outreach Team.
Events and learning experiences like this are invaluable when you get into the workforce, said Digsby. A lot of what these students do in high school and college is lesson-based, but this sort of hands-on stuff is helpful for the students. It also helps spark new interests among the students, specifically in STEM. The depot needs as many smart, dedicated engineers.
Additional support for the event was provided by the Eastern North Carolina Tech Bridge, the Office of Naval Researchs Naval STEM program, and NASAs North Carolina Space Grant. The ENC Tech Bridge operates in conjunction with a partnership between FRCE and Craven County, and works to build an ecosystem of innovation to support the Navy and Marine Corps with a focus on several areas of consideration, including manufacturing and repair technologies; advanced manufacturing; big data, data analytics and visualization; technical insertion; augmented and mixed reality; automation and robotics; and soft and wicked problem solving.
FRCE is North Carolinas largest maintenance, repair, overhaul and technical services provider, with more than 4,000 civilian, military and contract workers. Its annual revenue exceeds $1 billion. The depot provides service to the fleet while functioning as an integral part of the greater U.S. Navy; NAVAIR; and Commander, Fleet Readiness Centers.
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Has SAM Engineering & Equipment (M) Berhad’s (KLSE:SAM) Impressive Stock Performance Got Anything to Do With … – Yahoo Finance
SAM Engineering & Equipment (M) Berhad (KLSE:SAM) has had a great run on the share market with its stock up by a significant 21% over the last three months. As most would know, fundamentals are what usually guide market price movements over the long-term, so we decided to look at the company's key financial indicators today to determine if they have any role to play in the recent price movement. Particularly, we will be paying attention to SAM Engineering & Equipment (M) Berhad's ROE today.
Return on Equity or ROE is a test of how effectively a company is growing its value and managing investors money. Simply put, it is used to assess the profitability of a company in relation to its equity capital.
View our latest analysis for SAM Engineering & Equipment (M) Berhad
The formula for ROE is:
Return on Equity = Net Profit (from continuing operations) Shareholders' Equity
So, based on the above formula, the ROE for SAM Engineering & Equipment (M) Berhad is:
11% = RM102m RM914m (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2023).
The 'return' is the amount earned after tax over the last twelve months. So, this means that for every MYR1 of its shareholder's investments, the company generates a profit of MYR0.11.
So far, we've learned that ROE is a measure of a company's profitability. We now need to evaluate how much profit the company reinvests or "retains" for future growth which then gives us an idea about the growth potential of the company. Generally speaking, other things being equal, firms with a high return on equity and profit retention, have a higher growth rate than firms that dont share these attributes.
At first glance, SAM Engineering & Equipment (M) Berhad's ROE doesn't look very promising. However, the fact that the its ROE is quite higher to the industry average of 8.4% doesn't go unnoticed by us. Consequently, this likely laid the ground for the decent growth of 5.3% seen over the past five years by SAM Engineering & Equipment (M) Berhad. Bear in mind, the company does have a moderately low ROE. It is just that the industry ROE is lower. Therefore, the growth in earnings could also be the result of other factors. Such as- high earnings retention or the company belonging to a high growth industry.
As a next step, we compared SAM Engineering & Equipment (M) Berhad's net income growth with the industry and were disappointed to see that the company's growth is lower than the industry average growth of 7.5% in the same period.
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Earnings growth is a huge factor in stock valuation. Its important for an investor to know whether the market has priced in the company's expected earnings growth (or decline). By doing so, they will have an idea if the stock is headed into clear blue waters or if swampy waters await. Is SAM fairly valued? This infographic on the company's intrinsic value has everything you need to know.
In SAM Engineering & Equipment (M) Berhad's case, its respectable earnings growth can probably be explained by its low three-year median payout ratio of 21% (or a retention ratio of 79%), which suggests that the company is investing most of its profits to grow its business.
Moreover, SAM Engineering & Equipment (M) Berhad is determined to keep sharing its profits with shareholders which we infer from its long history of paying a dividend for at least ten years. Based on the latest analysts' estimates, we found that the company's future payout ratio over the next three years is expected to hold steady at 24%. Accordingly, forecasts suggest that SAM Engineering & Equipment (M) Berhad's future ROE will be 12% which is again, similar to the current ROE.
In total, it does look like SAM Engineering & Equipment (M) Berhad has some positive aspects to its business. Specifically, we like that the company is reinvesting a huge chunk of its profits at a respectable rate of return. This of course has caused the company to see a good amount of growth in its earnings. Having said that, looking at the current analyst estimates, we found that the company's earnings are expected to gain momentum. Are these analysts expectations based on the broad expectations for the industry, or on the company's fundamentals? Click here to be taken to our analyst's forecasts page for the company.
Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.
This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
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Martin Engineering marks 50-year anniversary of worlds first low-pressure air cannon – International Mining
Posted by Daniel Gleeson on 19th April 2024
A leader in bulk handling solutions, Martin Engineering, is marking the 50th anniversary of its invention of the worlds first low-pressure air cannon.
Air cannons have transformed material flows in bulk processing systems, eliminating problematic internal buildups and blockages. After five decades of continuous innovation, Martin Engineering says it remains at the forefront of air cannon advancements, enabling industrial plants to run more profitably, efficiently and safely than ever.
The company launched the worlds first low-pressure pneumatic air cannon its Big Blaster in 1974. It was devised and developed by Carl Matson, a member of Martins senior team and cousin of the firms founder Edwin F. Peterson.
The patented technology was designed to dislodge stubborn material stuck to the inside walls of hoppers and silos by firing precisely timed bursts of compressed air to keep bulk material flowing and preventing the growth of serious build-ups and blockages.
The air cannon was originally aimed at the same quarrying applications as the Vibrolator, the Martin-patented industrial ball vibrator on which the companys success had been built since its inception in 1944.
By the 1980s, as Martin Engineering expanded its global presence, the Big Blaster was already being reimagined for use in high-temperature industrial applications to maintain the flow of sticky materials through the process and minimise unscheduled downtime.
Martin air cannons soon proved to be transformational for sectors such as cement, for the first time signalling an end to workers having to access the interior of preheater vessels to manually break off hefty material build-ups using a high pressure water jet one of the most unpleasant and hazardous jobs on a cement plant.
By the 1990s Martin Engineering had developed an extreme heat and velocity version of the Big Blaster, the XHV, with an all-metal construction capable of withstanding the harshest of conditions. In the 2000s Martin became the first to introduce safer positive-pressure firing valve with its Tornado air cannon technology that prevents unintentional firing if theres a drop in system pressure, and also allows solenoid valves to be positioned up to 60 m from the air cannon for easier access and maintenance. Designed with safety in mind, the positive firing valve also delivers a more powerful blast.
Soon after that came the introduction of the Hurricane valve, located in the rear of the air cannon tank rather at the tank and nozzle junction, greatly improving safety and ease of maintenance. The exterior-facing design eliminates the need for removal of the tank so maintenance is a simple one-worker operation requiring only minutes for replacement.
In 2008, Martin Engineering opened its industry-leading Center for Innovation, which accelerated the companys air cannon technology advancements including: SMART Series Nozzles with multiple nozzle tips, one of which features a retractable design that extends the 360 nozzle head into the material stream only when firing, protecting it from repeated abrasions and extreme temperatures. Its clever Y-shaped assembly means the nozzle can be installed, accessed and serviced without removing the air cannon or further disruption to the vessel structure and refractory.
The Martin Thermo Safety Shield acts as a safety barrier to allow timely and safe maintenance of air cannon systems. It protects workers from exposure to severe temperatures so that maintenance can take place safely and production stays on schedule.
Martin Engineerings current air cannon designs are the result of the research and development in the Center for Innovation, located at the companys headquarters in Neponset, Illinois. The center will open its doors to visitors in the Summer of 2024 as part of the 50th anniversary celebrations.
Brad Pronschinske, Martin Engineerings Global Air Cannon Product Manager, said: From the very beginning our air cannons were specifically designed to produce a quiet but powerful, high-velocity discharge of plant-compressed air to dislodge buildups and enhance material flow. They were developed to be capable of handling the high temperatures, harsh gases and abrasive, corrosive materials associated with heavy industries, and yet have low maintenance requirements and low costs. Since the launch of the Big Blaster 50 years ago we have continued to innovate, introducing smarter and ever more powerful air cannon systems that improve efficiency, productivity and safety.
Were especially proud that Martin air cannons have become so important in reducing the health and safety risks associated with clearing blockages manually such as working in confined spaces, working at height, falling materials, and working in hot and dusty environments. Our team is always working on new developments and were looking forward to bringing the next generation of air cannon technologies to our customers all over the world.
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USC Aiken holds ribbon-cutting for Pacer machine shop | Aiken Area Education – The Post and Courier
USC Aikens College of Sciences and Engineering held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday, April 16, for its new Pacer Makerspace and Machine Shop.
It's a workspace that will give engineering students hands-on experience and will support applied research projects.
The space includes 3D printers, laser cutters and woodworking tools.
USCA Chancellor Dr. Dan Heimmermann said that the facility offers a fabrication space to create physical artifacts like sensors, electronic and mechanical devices that can be leveraged for commercialized solutions and product advances.
Heimmermann said that with this new facility, and the upcoming addition of a new bachelors degree in electrical engineering, the college is anticipating that its engineering programs will grow from 150 students to 300 students over the next few years.
This is really an exciting day for USC Aiken, said Teresa Haas, chair of the Aiken County Commission for Higher Education. This is a dedicated space for students, faculty and internal and external collaborators to bring their ideas to life by exploring and developing unconventional and creative ideas.
Scott McKay from the schools department of Sciences and Engineering said: Were going to expand that capacity to meet our workforce needs this really helps us as our engineering and computer science programs are growing at 30% year over year, we hope to keep building to this.
For upcoming senior and mechanical engineering student Truman Brabham this new addition to USCAs campus is an opportunity to learn skills that can be applied directly in the workplace.
It really means a lot to the faculty and also the students, it really opens up an endless range of possibilities for being able to do projects and take that knowledge that you learn in the classroom and apply it to real life equipment and real life projects," he said.
Brabham, who is the president of USCAs Engineering Student Association, hopes to attend graduate school and pursue aerospace engineering.
Yaraxy Martinez, another upcoming senior studying mechanical engineering, said that the new space makes her feel more confident in what her abilities will be post graduation.
Having this will bring us more comfort about what engineering is because everything we learn, its going to be just math-related and theory and hypothesis and things like that. And then here, we can learn how to do things, we will learn how to work it, said Martinez. Once we get into the real workplace, we will be like I have seen this before.
Martinez is hoping to start her career in the CSRA. We have so many places. We have Bridgestone, we have SRNS, SRNL, and so many other places, she said.
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USC Aiken holds ribbon-cutting for Pacer machine shop | Aiken Area Education - The Post and Courier
Engineering professor becomes part of SMART Hub to improve wireless spectrum accessibility – Rochester Institute of Technology
The wireless spectrum has become very crowded real estate, and work is underway through a new technology research center to improve spectrum access, co-existence, and security. Addressing these challenges will require new technology applications and resources, said Alireza Vahid of Rochester Institute of Technology.
Vahid is one of the university representatives on the Spectrum Management with Adaptive and Reconfigurable Technology (SMART) Hub, an industry-academic partnership based at Baylor University. With a background in understanding wireless data communication, his collaborative work will involve building system algorithms to coordinate the multi-faceted transmission demands of wireless networks.
The center is the start of a journey that brings new opportunities to improve the resource that we all use and share in some way, said Vahid, an associate professor of electrical engineering in RITs Kate Gleason College of Engineering.
Formally launched early this year, the SMART Hub is led by Charles Baylis, a professor of electrical and computer engineering in Baylors School of Engineering and Computer Science. SMART Hub consists of 17 institutions contributing expertise in communication systems, radar, circuits, spectrum security, economics, and policy. Demands on the overall system are a result of many more commercial, defense, and general users. Other factors include the need to manage general use with strategic applications.
In certain frequencies, more than one application may need to co-exist with others introducing additional challenges. There are many factors to be considered when using the radio spectrum today and in the future such as spectrum efficiency, security, privacy, and co-existence, said Vahid, who is an expert in wireless communications systems and networking as well as modern data storage technologies.
These problems are not new, he said. We have known of these for decades, but it was not as pronounced a problem as it is today with the 5G and 6G networks, and the increased demands across a shared network.
Leading wireless spectrum users such as the Army have specific needs; others need adaptable resources to support different applications and frequencies.
How much sensing capability is needed? How many users can be served? In terms of policy, data limits or access, what can we manage and what is the tradeoff between this and privacy concerns? he asked.
Both military and corporate organizations recognize the dwindling spectrum space will soon have an impact on users. The need has led researchers to pursue new approaches to spectrum communication, which will be the focus of SMART Hub.
We will be working on groundbreaking technology that will revolutionize how we use the spectrum, Baylis stated in a recent SMART Hub release. Rather than fixed systems that use the same frequency and stay there, were designing systems that can adapt to their surroundings and determine how to successfully transmit and receive. Its a true paradigm shift that requires the type of collaboration we will have in SMART Hub.
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BGL Announces the Merger of Vickers Engineering with Netform – PR Newswire
Vickers is a premier supplier for original equipment manufacturers in the automotive industry
CHICAGO, April 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Brown Gibbons Lang & Company (BGL) is pleased to announce the merger of Vickers Engineering (Vickers), a leading provider of mission-critical, highly engineered metal components and assemblies for the automotive and industrial markets, with Netform, a leading manufacturer of advanced flow-formed and cold-formed components and assemblies primarily focused on transmission and propulsion applications. BGL's Automotive & Aftermarket and Metals & Advanced Metals Manufacturing teams exclusively advised Vickers Engineering in the transaction.
Vickers is a premier supplier for original equipment manufacturers in the automotive industry.
Headquartered in New Troy, Michigan, Vickers produces high-quality precision parts by leveraging its advanced robotics and automation capabilities to supply major Asian, European, and North American headquartered automotive OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, and industrial companies. Vickers manages full non-ferrous and aluminum supply chains and serves as a one-stop shop for complex, tight-tolerance components for hybrid powertrains, electric vehicles, and driveline applications.
Netform, headquartered in Shelby Township, Michigan with two additional facilities in Ohio, is a portfolio company of Torque Capital Group. Its proprietary, highly engineered flow-formed and cold-formed products primarily serve transmission and propulsion applications in the automotive and truck markets.
The new partnership will allow Vickers to continue to leverage its advanced product capabilities and automated manufacturing processes across a larger, more diversified customer base. Vickers provides Netform with a diversified set of steel and aluminum processing capabilities as well as automation synergies, which will continue to support growth in the hybrid and EV markets.
BGL's Industrials group has extensive global transaction experience and domain knowledge across a broad range of industrial end markets. Our emphasis is on providing investment banking advisory services to middle-market companies that specialize in highly engineered and value-added products.
About Brown Gibbons Lang & CompanyBrown Gibbons Lang & Company (BGL) is a leading independent investment bank and financial advisory firm focused on the global middle market. The firm advises private and public corporations and private equity groups onmergers and acquisitions, capital markets,financial restructurings,business valuations and opinions, andother strategic matters.BGL has investment banking offices in Chicago, Cleveland, Los Angeles, and New York, and real estate offices in Chicago, Cleveland, and San Antonio. The firm is also a founding member of Global M&A Partners, enabling BGL to service clients in more than 35 countries around the world. Securities transactions are conducted through Brown, Gibbons, Lang & Company Securities, LLC, an affiliate of Brown Gibbons Lang & Company LLC and a registered broker-dealer and member of FINRA and SIPC. For more information, please visit http://www.bglco.com.
SOURCE Brown Gibbons Lang & Company
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BGL Announces the Merger of Vickers Engineering with Netform - PR Newswire