2018 Issue
Table of Contents
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The Complete Engineer Initiative
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Student Organizations
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Read about the framework for collegiate engineers for more than technical growth and success!
Learn all about the student organizations here on Scott Campus!
Career Fairs and Conferences See the great opportunities to expand your network within the College of Engineering!
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E-Week
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Summer Camps and Study Abroad
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Look back on the week-long celebration that involved Battle Bots, concert halls, and jousting!
Searching for an exciting way to learn and have fun? Check out these programs waiting for you!
Meet Your ESS Staff Get to know the staff that can help you inside and outside the classroom!
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What is NESCO? NESCO is the student council for the College of Engineering-Omaha campus. “NESCO” stands for “Nebraska Engineering Student Council of Omaha”. Its members take on many responsibilities for the college and the engineering student body, from putting on events and managing finances to running social media and even writing the magazine. You can think of it as the bridge between the college and the students. One of the main priorities of NESCO is service to engineering clubs and student organizations. Every year, the college allocates funds to student organizations for projects, trips, and other needs. It is NESCO’s job to distribute these funds to the engineering organizations and clubs. Many organizations send representatives to NESCO for this reason. This helps clubs and organizations receive funding in an easy and productive fashion. NESCO makes it easy for students to communicate any needs or requests. Members work to quickly address anything students may need. You can contact NESCO at nesco.uno@gmail.com or talk to any of the members and your request, need, or problem will be addressed in the next meeting. Students can also sit in on or speak at any monthly meetings if they wish. One of NESCO’s other priorities is hosting several events for the College of Engineering throughout the year. Its members run monthly events such as games, community service, industry meet-ups, and other events that can be fun and valuable to engineering students. Each year NESCO also sets up a week of engineering-related events during National Engineers Week (E-Week) which you can read more about in the E-Week section. Year round, NESCO works to serve the engineering community. Its members are committed to keeping the college running smoothly and making sure that complicated problems are efficiently taken care of.
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NESCO Executive Board: 2017 - 2018
Pictured from left to right: Sam Manning, Jennifer Briggs, Dalton Rabe, Isaac Shields, Ben Stodola, Sam Underwood
President: Ben Stodola
Favorite NESCO Memory: My favorite memory in NESCO from this year is seeing the relationships and interactions of our members improve. We work best when we collaborate and get things done as a team so this is a very exciting stepping-stone for the future success of this organization.
Executive Vice President: Jennifer Briggs
Favorite NESCO Memory: During E-Week our Freshman Council (FrESCO) planned a game night where they had minute to win it challenges. Sam Manning and I, along with other students, put Vaseline on our noses and tried to move as many cotton balls at one time. It was my messiest and most fun memory from E-WeeK to date!
Vice President of Communications: Dalton Rabe
Favorite NESCO Memory: My favorite memory in NESCO this year was driving to Wisconsin for the NAESC Midwest Regional Conference. Four other NESCO members and I were stuck in a car for eight hours and we all bonded pretty well from that!
Vice President of Finances: Sam Manning
Favorite NESCO Memory: My favorite memory from this year would be participating in E-Week events.
Vice President of Membership: Sam Underwood
Favorite NESCO Memory: My favorite NESCO memory from this year was getting to plan our internal Spring Retreat! We were able to line up some amazing speakers from the Omaha community to speak about leadership, Gallup Strengths, and engineering ethics.
Vice President of Student Affairs: Isaac Shields
Favorite NESCO Memory: My favorite NESCO memory from this year is probably sitting on the student panel for incoming freshman and answering questions I wish I knew before I came. I thought that was a really good experience.
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The Complete Engineer Initiative The Complete Engineer Initiative highlights the necessity and supports the development of many non-technical competencies needed to solve the various societal challenges we face in the 21st century and beyond. At its core, this initiative is a conceptual framework for collegiate engineers to understand that their technical expertise must be paired with essential non-technical competencies to provide comprehensive and sustainable engineering solutions. By providing opportunities for students to develop and apply their understanding of the six core competencies through leadership classes, co-curricular programs and services, we are confident our communities will be even better served by graduates of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Engineering.
Intercultural Appreciation Serving society requires in-depth knowledge and appreciation of the various cultures, differences, and experiences that make up our world. Appreciating, understanding and accepting the collective experiences and differences of the teams we lead and populations we serve will produce better solutions to engineering challenges.
Leadership In its simplest form, leadership is about influencing others to create positive change. It is not an overstatement to say that to engineer is to lead others to a solution. Practicing engineers must lead and lend their expertise in the service of society to those engaged in the solution.
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Teamwork It is rare for a practicing engineer to serve without the benefit of a team. Teams can be composed of people from all walks of life who serve many roles. Working and performing on a team is critical to providing solutions that will meet the high standards of engineering service.
Time-Management As an engineer you will be called to manage and lead projects, teams, organizations, etc. Therefore, an effective engineer must first learn to lead and manage themselves by reflecting on one’s behavior and experiences, managing one’s time, establishing personal goals, and handling stress.
Service and Civic Responsibility Engineering is a service profession. Engineers are charged to use their talents and gifts to solve problems that impact others. The performance and practice of engineering is an act of service.
Understanding of engineering Ethics Engineers are expected to exhibit the highest of standards of honesty and integrity. Engineers must hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public. Those whom engineers serve deserve nothing less.
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Student Organizations The College of Engineering has an array of programs, events, and student organizations for you to participate in throughout the year. Immerse yourself in the college experience, meet other students with similar interests, and develop your leadership and nontechnical skills by joining a student organization.
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Architectural Engineering Student Leadership and Advisory Committee What we do: Recognize students, faculty, and alumni for their accomplishments, organize activities to engage the Architectural Engineering community, and host programs to better showcase the opportunities available in our industry When we meet: All members meet once a month and committee meetings once a month on a different day How to join: Submit an application at the end of the fall semester for freshman and participate in an interview process to prove candidacy Our Activities: Engineer’s Night Out, AE Options Conference, and more! Fun Fact: Our members get involved from day one by being placed on one of three subcommittees: Recognition, Student Activities, or Student Affairs.
The Associated General Contractors of America
What we do: Bring industrial people in to talk with our chapter and to show our members what all is out there in the construction industry and what opportunities there are When we meet: Meet once a month How to join: Pay $20 dues and attend meetings and social events Our Activities: Field trips, an annual service project, and a national convention Fun Fact: We do an annual service project where we pour concrete, use tools, and learn how to actually perform the work.
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American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers
What we do: Provide opportunities outside the classroom to enrich the educational experience of a young engineer with aditional learning opportunities and industry networking When we meet: Meet once a month along with additional meetings for event planning How to join: Reach out to members to join or go to MavSync Our Activities: ASHRAE Lunch & Learns, happy hour events with industry, and more! Fun Fact: Joining ASHRAE is one of the single most beneficial things an AE-Mechanical student can do to further their career.
American Society of Civil Engineers
What we do: Enhance the college experience for Civil Engineering students by getting them involved with industry, faculty, and their fellow students When we meet: Meet every month with industry speakers How to join: Join by paying $10 dues and giving contact information to ASCE Our Activities: Concrete Canoe and Steel Bridge competitions, service projects, and a fall career mixer Fun Fact: ASCE is the oldest Engineering organization, founded in 1852.
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Chi Epsilon Civil Engineering Honor Society
What we do: Recognize outstanding students and promote an awareness of civil engineering amongst high school students and young college students When we meet: Meet once a month How to join: Invite only every spring Our Activities: Three service projects, mixers, meetings, etc. Fun Fact: We participate in Habitat for Humanity on a semesterly basis.
Earthquake Engineering Research Institute
What we do: Give students the opportunity to learn about a highly important topic that does not necessarily get covered in the majority of undergraduate classwork When we meet: Once every other week, but more during competition How to join: Come to a meeting, sign up, and pay $5 dues per semester Our Activities: The International Undergraduate Seismic Design Competition, occasional lessons about seismic engineering, and the Nebraska High School Seismic Design Competition Fun Fact: We have been invited to compete internationally at the USDC five out of the last six years and placed in the top ten twice in that time.
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Engineers Without Borders: University of Nebraska Chapter
What we do: Design solutions to help improve communities across the globe, and also travel to implement the designs When we meet: General members meet every other week and project teams meet every week How to join: Come to the general meetings and join a project team or New Member committee Our Activities: Social events, including a trip to a pumpkin patch and holiday parties Fun Fact: Members can travel abroad during the summers to work on projects in person!
Mechanical Electrical Specialty Contractors
What we do: Introduce students to the Mechanical Construction Industry When we meet: Meet once a month How to join: Fill out an application followed by an interview to determine candidacy in the fall Our Activities: Fundraisers, community service activities, student competition, and travel for conferences Fun Fact: In the past three years, we have made it to the MCAA National Student Competition two times.
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National Society of Black Engineers
What we do: Reach out to minority students, or students that come from an underprivileged upbringing and educate them as to what STEM majors do and encourage them to choose a STEM major When we meet: Meet once a month How to join: Regularly attend meetings and paying annual membership dues Our Activities: NSBE Industry Mixer and various social events Fun Fact: NSBE is the largest student-ran organization of its kind in the country.
PKI - Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
What we do: Provide practical experiences for members When we meet: General members meet once a month and officers meet weekly How to join: Follow us on MavSYNC to get put on the member email list Our Activities: Monthly industry speakers, 1060 Dev Board Fun Fact: We plan on having an online store in the future.
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Society of Women Engineers (University Chapter at Omaha) What we do: Encourage women to achieve full potential in careers as engineers and leaders, expand the image of the engineering profession as a positive force in improving the quality of life, and demonstrate the value of diversity When we meet: Meet once a month How to join: Come to meetings, join the email list, and join the chapter at swe.org Our Activities: Various service projects and socials Fun Fact: SWE has members in ten geographic regions comprised of 300 collegiate member sections and 100 professional member sections.
University of Nebraska Acoustical Society of America S.C.
What we do: Bring the exciting world of acoustics into the University of Nebraska community When we meet: Meet once a month How to join: Contact us at unoasa@gmail.com and membership is free Our Activities: Venue tours, guest speakers, acoustical measurements, concerts, high-school outreach, and more Fun Fact: We were the first Acoustical Society of America (ASA) student chapter established.
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Research Spotlight Nathan German APT Student Design Competition
What are you working on?
What steps did you take to get involved?
My project is static and dynamic shift on arch shape and style. The objective of this research is to understand and determine the distinguishing characteristics of different arch styles and shapes and how they react in static and dynamic test modes.
I kept an open mind and asked lots of questions.
Why did you choose to begin research? I never knew of this opportunity until my statics TA sent an email to me. He sent me an email at 3 AM on the Thursday before the UCARE application deadline. Without hesitation or question, I drafted my application paper and submitted the paper work. What do you like most about the project? My favorite part of this project was that my research team and I were able to travel to Ottawa, Canada and compete in an international structural competition. Since this correlated with our UCARE research project, we based our submission from Joslyn Castle’s arches and won first in the United States.
What advice do you have for incoming/current students who are interested in research? Talk to your professor/faculty. Also, remain open minded. I am researching a structural topic even though I will most likely pursue a mechanical disciplined degree.
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Career Fairs and Conferences The best way to ensure a successful career after your time at the College of Engineering is to build a network. There are many opportunities to make connections with other students and future employers at various career fairs and conferences!
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Conferences There are many specialized conferences and opportunities that are available for College of Engineering students to attend. Most conference trips are organized by the student organizations on campus. Attending a conference is a great way to meet new people with similar interests and learn more about a specific field of study. Some conferences our students attend: ASCE Convention - Student Organization: ASCE - Civil Engineers attend this conference to: “exchange ideas, meet a diverse group of colleagues, participate in discussions, learn the latest innovations in your field, and earn professional development hours.” AE Options Conference - Student Organization: AESLAC - Architectural Engineering students in AESLAC attend and host the AE Options Conference every year with the following goal: “To expose students to a variety of career opportunities in Architectural Engineering by inviting industry professionals to showcase the details of their profession and the day-to-day impact they make on the field of engineering.” NAESC Regionals and ELS - Student Organization: NESCO - All engineering students in NESCO can attend the NAESC conferences. These focus on bringing engineering student councils from across the region and country together to help the betterment of all councils involved.
Photo by American Society of Civil Engineers
This list is far from exhaustive. For specializaed conferences that pertain to specific majors, the best way to find more information is to contact the student organizations that might send people. There are even more options outside of student organizations. More broad-based conferences are available such as the Complete Engineer Conference and NAESC conferences. Attending conferences such as these usually focus on developing leadership, teamwork, and other skills an engineering professional should have.
IEEE Regional/National Conferences - Student Organization: IEEE - Electrical and computer engineering students at Omaha have the opportunity to attend many IEEE conferences across the nation throughout the year. These conferences bring in industry experts to discuss a variety of technological areas.
NAESC Mission Statement
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Career Fair Opportunities Engineering students at Omaha have many opportunities to explore the industry in the region. The College of Engineering hosts several career fairs throughout the academic year. This includes the Durham School Career Fair every year, where hundreds of engineering students flock to meet with professionals. Attending a career fair provides students with valuable job-hunting experience in addition to the potential career development. Over 250 students out of the 325 that came landed next-day interviews after attending the Durham School Career Fair. 81 employers came to the fair with job offerings in architectural engineering, construction engineering, civil engineering, and construction management. Other engineering majors will also find opportunities here as many companies are multifaceted.
Union Pacific Omaha
Other majors will also find luck at some of the other available fairs. The UNO Career Fair was at Baxter Arena this year and provided opportunities for students of all disciplines. Lincoln hosts an opportunity as well called the STEM Career Fair. This fair targets the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) majors by bringing in technical companies that operate all over the nation. All of these fairs release attending companies and other important information ahead of time. Being aware of this before the fair will not only help save time the day of the fair, but will also make meeting all of your preferred companies easier.
Photos by Andrew Bechdolt
BSE Structural Engineers Kansas City
After the Career Fair From Bonnie Martin
1. Follow up on the company’s instructions. Did they ask you to fill out an application online? Do it now. 2. Feel free to add any new contacts you made on LinkedIn. When you connect with them, I recommend you add a personal note - maybe include where you met them or a thank you. 3. Were there any companies you really “clicked” with? Email them a short thank you/follow up note within a few days to thank them for the information and reiterate your interest in their company. 4. Did you have a next-day interview? Send an email thank you (hand-written optional) to all companies you interviewed within 24 to 48 hours. 5. Are they not hiring until spring? That’s okay! Consider adding a reminder in your calendar for the spring to check on any openings they have later.
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The Complete Engineer The Complete Engineer Conference cam from the Complete Engineer Initiative which says the following: “The Complete Engineer Initiative highlights the necessity and supports the development of many non-technical competencies needed to solve the various societal challenges we face in the 21st century and beyond.” There are six core competencies involved in the Complete Engineer that are focused on to help make participants well-rounded engineers. These competencies are non-technical, but are still heavily sought after attributes in the industry. The Complete Engineer Conference includes many speakers and break out sessions that dive into important topics corresponding to each competency such as these from 2018: Presented By:
Andres Torres, Business Director Latin America & Caribbean
Valmont Industries, Inc.
Carina Winters, Process Engineering, 2016 Alum Meryl Bloomfield, Chemical Engineering, 2017 Alum
Black & Veatch
The Complete Engineer Conference has other events in addition to the breakout sessions. For example, in the afternoon there was an industry mixer that allowed students time to discuss non-technical skills with professionals. Students also heard keynotes from professionals with experience in the industry like Doc Chaves. “Leadership & Communication: Engineering Edition (Or How to Make Your Career Cross-Platform Compatible)” Doc Chaves, Director of Coporate Communications, LI-COR Biosciences
Your OWN Board of Directors
Board of Directors (BODs) play a key role in the success of a firm and provide advice to the management team. Individuals could also benefit from having their own BODs. This session will describe the benefits of having personal BODs and will provide a 4-step process in developing one. Students will have the opportunity to practice the concepts learned in this workshop to start developing their own BODs.
Developing Effective Teamwork Skills
As engineers, we are often required to work as part of a team. This workshop will focus on how you can develop key characteristics of an effective team member. Come ready to work and learn together!
Here’s what previous students said:
“This conference was far more than I expected! Everything I participated in made this event nearly unforgettable.” “This conference challenged my thinking about leadership in a good way.” “I think it put into perspective how much you can do with engineering and the tools you need to be successful.” “I feel that I am definitely a lot more confident because of this conference.”
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Review Your Resume Engineering Resume: Top 10 Tips From Engineering Career Services
1) When writing your (optional!) objective, ask yourself the following questions. To what end am I using this resume? What do I hope to gain? What can I contribute to the organization? Blend these answers into an effective statement—your objective should be personal and actionable. 2) Under education, ensure you write out the entire institution and the degree you seek to obtain. As an engineering or construction student, your degree-granting institution is the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. 3) Employers want to know when you’ll complete your degree rather than when you began. Keep it simple here with an “expected graduation” or “anticipated graduation” date. 4) List your experience in reverse chronological order. Resumes follow this rule because employers want to know what you’re doing right now, rather than what you did years ago. Consider this: we read left to right and top to bottom, thus what we put at the top of our resume should be the newest and most important information! 5) Spend time crafting your bulleted statements that describe your experience. Start with action verbs in the appropriate verb tense, and ask yourself the following questions. What did I do? How did I do it well? Was it measurable—can I quantify or add specifics so employers better understand my work? 6) You may want to include relevant coursework. Make sure anything you list passes the following question. Will industry care about the skills and knowledge I gained in this class? If the answer is yes, add it in! Remember: engineering courses are more important than calculus or physics here. 7) Adding proficiency level to your skills section helps an employer gauge where you’re at in the mastery of languages, software programs, etc. Try to stick to technical skills only. It’s better to show your soft skills (like time management, leadership, problem-solving, and more!) in action by weaving them into your bulleted statements. 8) Add dates to your extracurricular activities. This involvement, whether in the college, UNO, or the community, is truly valuable on a resume. If you have space, go more in-depth and add bullets here if you think it adds something new to the narrative. 9) Finally, evaluate the format! Is your resume readable? Do you have a good balance of text and white space? Are you ordering your sections from most important to least important? Do your experiences stand out? The “look” of your resume is what draws the reader in. Ensure it’s consistent and aesthetically pleasing. 10) There are many ways to create an effective resume, and this example is just one way. If you have any questions or comments, please visit Bonnie Martin, Career Services Coordinator, for more information. You may reach her at 402.554.3949 or bonniemartin@unl.edu.
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Meet the Magazine Staff Dalton Rabe: Editor Year: Junior Major: Architectural Engineering
memories come from my time in NESCO and I wouldn’t want it any other way.
What the magazine means to him: I see this magazine as being the best way I can help incoming and current students get involved during college. Some of my best
Fun Fact about Dalton: When I’m not procrastinating or watching Netflix, I spend my time making music and reading about as many things as possible!
Aaron Adams: Student Resources Year: Sophomore Major: Architectural Engineering What the magazine means to him: For myself, this magazine has been an outlet for creativity and personal development. Hopping on the Communications committee
and getting involved with the magazine allowed me to strengthen many interpersonal skills all while staying involved and problem solving from a creative lens. Fun Fact about Aaron: I have a love-hate relationship with winter in Nebraska.
Ryon Sommerer: Summer Camps/Study Abroad Year: Junior Major: Architectural Engineering What the magazine means to him: It’s a great opportunity for us to create something that incoming freshman and anyone interested in the College of Engineering can
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look into. It allows them to gain insight on a whole world of information that can benefit them greatly upon entering their college careers. Fun Fact about Ryon: I am almost a whole year younger than everyone in my class.
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Pat Gregg: Student Resources Year: Junior Major: Civil Engineering
Fun Fact about Pat: I like to play video games.
What the magazine means to him: This magazine gives current and incoming students a chance to see all that the College of Engineering has to offer.
Khang Vu: Student Organizations Year: Senior Major: Computer Engineering What the magazine means to him: It means for me to contribute to the College of Engineering and to get students to be more involved throughout their college years.
Fun Fact about Khang: I can solve a 7x7 Rubik’s cube in under 10 minutes.
Nico Marienello: Career Fairs/Conferences Year: Sophomore Major: Computer Engineering What the magazine means to him: It’s a great mechanism to teach potential new students and other curious people about the lifestyle and environment in the College of Engineering.
Fun Fact about Nico: I collect records.
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E-WEEK
February 19th ENGINEERING @ THE O - 2018 ISSUE
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- February 23rd
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Monday Pancakes were stacked high early Monday morning as another edition of E-Week commenced. Sponsored by the Durham School, students were treated to free pancakes, sausages and orange juice in the PKI Atrium! The free food didn’t end there. The Corps of Engineers hosted a career development lunch where students had the opportunity to enhance their career skills and learn what traits employers seek. Next on the agenda was a tour of one of the finest venues in the country. The Holland Performing Arts Center tour introduced participants to the design and renovation plans of the performance halls known for their acoustic setup. It was a wonderful learning experience for all and provided a look at the type of project budding engineers can someday be a part of. The first day of events was capped off with Game Night hosted by NESCO. There was an amazing turnout and students tested their wit, and improv, in familiar games such as Family Feud, Kahoot, and an engineering take on “Whose Line is it Anyway?”. The highlight of the night was students acting out competitive dog food eating for the chance to win prizes ranging from NESCO swag to Wal-Mart gift cards. Day one was a success and everyone’s involvement helped build momentum for the rest of E-Week!
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Tuesday For the second day of E-Week, Tuesday was full of excitement (and pizza!). The day kicked off at 10am with a Battlebots competition hosted by UN Robotics, where students were able to drive robots, win prizes and eat pizza at the end. For some, driving the robots was challenging at first but many students got the hang of it quickly. If students missed the pizza lunch, Latin@s in Science & Engineering put on the Tacos and Telenovelas event for the first half of the afternoon. Participants were encouraged to brush up on their high school Spanish skills with a Telenovela clip-translating contest! Authentic Mexican food from a local taqueria was provided and participants had a great time exploring their familiarity with the Spanish language. Later in the day, the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) hosted a Leaning Tower Design Competition in the PKI Atrium. Here individuals worked to design and construct the best leaning tower, with recognition and prizes given to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd best entries! And finally, to wrap up the day, the Nebraska Engineering Student Council at Omaha (NESCO) sponsored free dinner and a movie for students. The first 75 students to swipe their MavCard could get a free dinner buffet at Godfather’s Pizza in addition to a free movie at Aksarben Cinema. This was a great way for students to finish off an exciting day of free food and intellectual competition.
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Wednesday Wednesday started off strong! Have you ever wanted to build a bridge and see if you would be a capable designer? Then you would have loved the K’Nex Bridge Building Competition hosted by EERI! Many students got to see if they truly had what it takes to become an engineer or if they were good with construction toys. Even though the building could have been stressful, nothing but smiles filled that room. What would be the best way to end third day of E-Week? With pizza of course! Students, faculty, and industry professionals all got to relax and hang out at Engineer’s Night Out at Dudley’s Pizza & Tavern, hosted by AESLAC. Many came for the free pizza while some also came for some relief from the week. Whether it was discussing how students are going to study for three exams in the next 48 hours or talking to a possible connection, everybody definitely left with some great memories.
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Thursday Unfortunately, weather conditions brought E-Week to an early end on Thursday, but it did not stop our fellow engineers from having a blast. Thursday started out with the Mindful Bagel Breakfast, where free bagels were provided along with a five minute massage. Students also enjoyed other relaxing activities such as coloring, origami, and Play-Doh! Can you use a counter-weight to launch a 90 kg projectile over 300 meters? Can you design the most superior siege engine on the fly? That was what the Trebuchet Building Competition was all about. It was a competition for engineers to showcase their knowledge, to apply mathematical formulas, to utilize cutting-wood technologies, and to harness the power of hot glue guns. Many spectacular siege engines were created, but only a few were superior. What followed the Trebuchet Building Competition next was the Engineering Trivia. Engineering students from diferent majors were given the chance to compete against each other by answering a wide variety of questions from different fields, some not about engineering at all. The event was also a good opportunity for engineering students to make some new friends, or sit around awkwardly.
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Friday E-Week sadly ended on Friday. A Hockey Tailgate was hosted by NESCO to celebrate the successful week. The tailgate consisted of entertaining games such as tricycle races, pedestral jousting, and more. It was a great way to end the week and to prepare for the night’s hockey game at Baxter Arena. What’s a tailgate without some BBQ? Hog Wild Pit-Bar-B-Q was catered and everyone enjoyed the delicious food while playing games and awaiting the drawing of prizes. Some of the prizes consisted of a foldable bike, backpacks, external hard drives, TI-Nspire calculator, and even a printer. E-Week 2018 was a huge success for the College of Engineering. Not only did students learn more about engineering, they got to relax and destress with the activities held. The college emphasizes E-Week to help students see the importance of engineering and how it provides a positive impact in the world.
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Scott Technology Center “Scott Technology Center was founded by the Suzanne & Walter Scott Foundation, with a mission to grow Omaha’s technology footprint through partnership and collaboration.”
What does that mean for students? Through a partnership with the College of Engineering at UNO, engineering students have access to this great collaboration space at any time during the school year! Only students who were registered for classes or other activities that take place at STC are automatically given access. However If you wish to utilize the many resources of Scott Technology Center, for MavCard access please contact Norma Morley via email at nmorley1@unl.edu.
What resources are available to students? Please be mindful that the College of Engineering shares STC with other businesses. However, students are encouraged to make use of all the great common areas (great for studying!).
• Conference Rooms: Ice Bear, Stoli, P2000, 4/3 • Study/Collaborative Spaces: Elk Mountain, Aggie, Centennial, Mini, ZN • Computer Lab (STC 125) also accessible by MavCard Call the Scott Data Center office: 402-505-7800 or use the room wizard system (touch-screen outside of each conference room) to reserve a room today!
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Research Spotlight Auston Viotto Funded by NASA Nebraska Space Grant
What are you working on? Superpositioning High Power Lasers for Mid-Air Image Formations This research evaluates different methods to create voxels, 3-dimensional pixels, in air without the need for special glasses or reflections off of surfaces. Research on the advantages of superimposing or the culmination, focusing, of laser light will be conducted. The point of superpositioning/ culmination will be evaluated by the brightness of the voxel due to the Rayleigh Scatter Effect. The voxel’s brightness is dependent on the laser output strength and inversely proportional to its wavelength. Once a superimposed/culminated voxel has been created in the lab the next step will be to manipulate the location of the voxel through 3-dimensional space. This research will discuss different techniques to move the voxel, including the use of high-speed scanning galvanometer mirror positioning system or rotating wedge prisms to control beam steering. Once the voxel is able to be efficiently manipulated the next step will be to create a latent image, hologram, in 3-dimensional space. Why did you choose to begin research? I am a very big tinkerer, picking up old CRT television sets from the roadside and rewiring them to work as cheap oscilloscopes or converting a car alternator into a motor for an air-raid siren. It has become my passion to learn how things
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work, as well as innovate and invent new ideas. My biggest at home project dealt with creating and programming a holographic AI which I later named Christopher. The main motivation behind this project was fueled by my fascination with the
intricacies of holographic AIs from science fiction like in Star Wars. It was this, along with the release of Amazon’s Alexa and Google’s Home, that sparked my idea to merge the two together. This project later became inspiration for my current research project. What steps did you take to get involved? Networking is the biggest key to get anywhere. I wrote up a short proposal for research which I had to look up how to do and proposed my idea to two professors I meet during the Engineering Readiness Academy my freshman year. They helped a lot with people who they know who could get me grant money to fund the project and lab space to perform it in.
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Alumni Spotlight Adriana Afong Degree and Year of Graduation: 2010 - Bachelor of Science in Construction Engineering Student organizations you were involved with in college and any positions held MAES - Latinos in Science and Engineering, Treasurer Assoicated General Contractors Current Employer and Job Pacific Gas & Electric - Project Management/Project Controls - Electrical Transmission Lines
What aspect of studying engineering impacted you the most during college?
Is there anything you would have done differently in college?
The terms creativity and versatility made a great impact in my head while making the decision to become an engineer. A career in engineering offers an exciting diversity of job options with roles available in almost every industry that requires the engineer to be versatile. We, engineers, have a huge range of career opportunities open to us. These careers allow you to use creativity with almost no restrictions, from creating a building, or electrical components to special effects; creative skills are a must to all areas of engineering.
I wish I went to college sooner; I had two children when I started and finished with three by graduation time. It was hard due to the class schedule, assignments, and tests. I had to spend a lot of time away from my children. At the end it was all worth it, they look at me and they feel very proud to say “My mom is an engineer, graduated from the College of Engineering in Nebraska.�
What is your favorite memory from your involvement in the College of Engineering?
My career has taken me to places I never imagined. It has given me the opportunity to get involved in industries not on my radar: Industrial, Natural Gas, Nuclear, & Electrical Transmission. I have held various positions: Design Engineer, Estimator, Field Engineer, Scheduler, Project Controls, Project Engineer, & Project Manager. Becoming an engineer has been one of the best decisions of my life.
There are so many! One of my favorite memories in the College of Engineering was the love of sports and the support of our sister university, UNL. GO BIG RED! Also, the lifelong friendships I was able to develop while spending day & night studying and being able to mentor new students, especially females working towards the engineering path is one of the memories that bring me the most satisfaction.
Has your career surprised you from what you thought it would be like in college?
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Summer Camps and Studying Abroad Who says all your learning has to be inside a classroom? Expand your horizons and travel to new places while expanding your education. If you would like to stay here in Omaha, spend your time at a summer camp and build connections and memories to last a lifetime!
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NUBE Experience Incoming freshman are invited to participate in the NUBE Experience just before school starts. NUBE Experience (Nebraska Undergraduates Becoming Engineers) takes place over two days and helps incoming freshman learn about the College of Engineering as well as visit several engineering industry sites. When students arrive Thursday before the first week of school, they have the opportunity to quickly get to know one another. Once everyone is checked in, the students partake in several activities that help build relationships and teamwork. On the second day, students have the opportunity to tour
various industry sites where they could potentially work someday as engineers. NUBE experience provides freshman with great opportunities to learn more about what their future holds in the College of Engineering, as well as obtain a head start on networking with upper class students, faculty, and industry professionals. Whether it may be a scavenger hunt around UNO, or visits to prominent engineering corporations, these students gain key knowledge in making their college career a success.
For more information about the NUBE experience, visit: nube.unl.edu
Engineering Readiness Academy The College of Engineering hosts a week-long camp for incoming freshman each year known as the Engineering Readiness Academy (ERA). During this camp, the freshman get a feel for the dorm life while staying in Scott Hall. The camp consists of various projects and activities, that not only help build friendships upon entering college, but refresh their mathematical skills for the upcoming year. Some of the activities include a ropes course and visiting the H&K building to partake in sports
games. Not only do students get to know each other, they will also get to interact with current students and faculty. During the week, students work on specific mathrelated projects including geometric houses and straw rockets they get to design and launch. Teams of students were also tasked with the creation of a pedestrian bridge model that they would present at the end of the week. Each night, after completing
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study time on ALEKS (a software utilized to review math knowledge), there are group activities for the students to participate in. These have included CEENBot glow-in-the-dark races, an Escape Room. video game competition, and more. By the end of the week, the students made many friends before the start of the school year. With the mathematical prep, they were better prepared to conquer the difficult classes that are part of engineering. If you are an incoming freshman and interested in taking part in the Engineering Readiness Academy
this summer, go to: engineering.unl.edu/era Already a student? You can apply to be a student counselor for next year!
“Going to ERA was one of the best decisions I made!” - Izzy Brown
Study Abroad Opportunities Italy - Architectural Engineering
opportunity costs about $13,500 a semester.
This faculty-led trip is a 3 week program that allows students to study the architecture around Italy. Rome, Florence, Pisa, and Pompeii are a few places that are visited and studied while on this trip. Dr. Erdogmus, Associate Professor of Architectural Engineering, leads this trip and it offers credit for ART 3770- History of Architecture since 1850. This trip costs around $5,000$6,500 total.
Lithuania - Mechanical and Electrical Engineering This program is also offered through the UNO Exchange Program and offers Mechanical and Electrical Engineering coursework in English. The cost for this study abroad opportunity is roughly $8,500 a semester.
Netherlands - Electrical Engineering
TU Braunschweig, another one of UNO’s Exchange Program partners in Germany, offers civil, mechanical, and electrical engineering courses in English. They also host a unique engineering program called ‘Sense 2.0’. Students take three engineering courses, an intercultural training course, and a German language course to round out the semester. Their engineering
Through the UNO Exchange Program, students can study abroad for a semester or a year in the Netherlands. Electrical Engineering, Mathematics, Computer Science, Technology are some of the topics offered at the Delft University of Technology. This
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Germany - Civil, Mechanical, and Electrical Engineering
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specialties for the Sense 2.0 program are Industrial, Chemical, and Mechanical. This program costs around $10,500 a semester. Ireland - Civil Engineering University College Cork is an exchange partner with UNO and offers civil engineering courses. This program costs roughly $16,000 a semester. GREEN Program - Sustainability The GREEN Program is a separate study abroad provider who do short term programs in Iceland, Hawaii, Peru, and Japan. Iceland focuses more on geothermal energy due to the divergent plate it sits on. This provides conditions for water to heat up quickly allowing energy companies to drill down to the proper depth to obtain the water that then provides power and hot water for the community. This program is great for someone who wants to learn more about different sustainable practices. The list above doesn’t represent all of the possibilities for engineering students, but highlights some of UNO’s exchanges specifically. Engineering students are encouraged to talk to the Education Abroad office or email Emily Krueger at ekrueger@unomaha.edu in order to look at all the options available. The number of opportunities to study engineering abroad grows every year.
*The above programs offered through the UNO Exchange program are priced based on 15 Hours of UNO tuition and fees + Flight + Housing + Food + Insurance + Spending Money. Most scholarships provided by the university can be used towards study abroad on a UNO exchange program. Federal financial aid can be used on all credit-bearing study abroad programs approved by UNO Education Abroad. There are also many opportunities for funding to ensure that each student can afford these unique experiences. Most programs accommodate you by allowing you to reside in the local student housing at affordable rates.
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Tips From Fellow Students Last year you asked for it, and in this year’s issue you’re getting it! As a magazine staff, we decided that some of the best resources to students are anecdotal in nature. This year, the NESCO Communications committee reached out to fellow students across the College of Engineering, seeking the best tips and advice we could find. Through a NESCO poll and a “Cookie for a Comment” session in the atrium of PKI, a hefty list was handed off to the magazine staff. We trimmed and sorted to our heart’s content, leaving you with a concise list of suggestions to help bring you success during your time here at the College of Engineering! Here they are, in no particular order:
1. Consider reaching out to a faculty member and helping with their research if you are seeking more involvement in your field. Research is a great way to get exposure to “upper level” topics earlier in your studies 2. Get to know upperclassmen, form study groups, work hard, ask questions or go to office hours 3. Don’t focus 100% on your own project. Wander around. See what others are doing and ask questions 4. Talk to your academic advisor about courses, Alma too, ask for help when needed 5. Get involved but don’t bite off more than you can chew 6. Take classes/ do things that interest you beyond just your major classes. A well-rounded person is better than a perfect technician 7. Seek connections 8. Get involved in something you feel passionate about 9. Don’t squander the ample time you have 10. Find ways to relax for short amounts of time to help relieve stress 11. Surround yourself with the smart people. You will become who your friends are 12. Time management is #1 13. The best advice is pre-read the material if you can. It will save you a ton of work later. 14. Make sure you focus in interdisciplinary and collaborative work. Take classes outside your focus and work on your communication skills 15. Visit Engineering Study Stop for more help 16. Create a schedule and write when homework is due ahead of time. Don’t try to memorize all due dates! 17. Work hard, but make sure to make time for fun stuff. Take breaks! It will make you better in the long run 18. Be ready for the workload increase 19. Get to know the staff. They will help you! 20. Do not be afraid to ask for help! 21. Get enough sleep 22. Be the G.O.A.T 23. Stay positive! 24. Keep an open mind 25. Find time to enjoy college
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Alumni Spotlight Pete Uhing Degree and Year of Graduation: 2013 - Bachelor of Science in Architectural Engineering 2014 - Master of Architectural Engineering Student organizations you were involved with in college and any positions held ASHRAE (2011-2014), Public Relations Chair (2013) College of Engineering Diplomat (2011-2014) Architectural Engineering Institute (2011-2014) Current Employer and Job Mechanical Engineer at The Clark Enersen Partners in Lincoln, NE
What aspect of studying engineering impacted you the most during college? The Team Design and Graduate Project courses in my MAE year had the biggest impact on my development as a future engineer. These courses were different from typical engineering courses in that they were much more self-directed and forced me to do research, think creatively, and make my own decisions. They helped me to develop the critical thinking and problem-solving skills that I now use on a daily basis. What is your favorite memory from your involvement in the College of Engineering? I really enjoyed attending ASHRAE conferences in Chicago, Dallas, and New York City and the AEI Student Conference when it was held in Omaha. These were great opportunities to meet students from other universities, network with professionals, and spend time with classmates. Is there anything you would have done differently in college? I wish I would have taken advantage of study abroad opportunities. I’ve done some traveling
since I graduated, but looking back, the study abroad trips would have been a great way to immerse myself in a different culture in addition to learning more about engineering. Has your career surprised you from what you thought it would be like in college? The engineering knowledge that I gained in college has been very applicable to my career, but I didn’t consider all that is involved in a firm’s operation and strategic outlook. As part of Clark Emersen’s Vision Committee, I’ve been able to play a role in developing our Vision and Mission statements, as well as helping to create strategies for the direction of the firm in the next five to seven years. This process has helped me to feel valued as an employee and makes me more engaged in the work that I do.
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Alumni Spotlight Diego Martinez Degree and Year of Graduation: 2009 - Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering 2012 - Master of Telecommunication Engineering Student organizations you were involved with in college and any positions held College Ambassador Construction System Department Research Assistant Current Employer and Job Qualcomm Senior Software/Test Integration Engineer Wireless Connectivity Team
What aspect of studying engineering impacted you the most during college?
Has your career surprised you from what you thought it would be like in college?
The role that specificly impacted me the most was to be a Research Assistant. I worked for Yong Cho. This opportunity gave me lots of hands on experience. I was able to use my programming and engineering skills. It also gave the idea of working under management structure and meeting deadlines. Times were not easy, and I had to wear many hats during my tenure.
Yes. It has a lot. I am from Colombia. I came initially just to learn English as a second language. I never imagined that I would be living in San Diego, California. Now, I work for a top 500 company in the world.
What is your favorite memory from your involvement in the College of Engineering?
After school, I became extremely involved into endurance sports. I have completed: - 3 Full Marathons - 28 Half Marathons - The Dirty Kanza Ride - 1 Sprint Triathalon - 1 International Triathalon - 1 70.3 Iron Man - 1 Full Ironman
My favorite memories are spending lots of time at PKI. It used to be my second home. I biked every day to school! Is there anything you would have done differently in college? Yes, I wish I would have spent more time practicing a sport while in college. I was so busy working for the department or working on assignments. I forgot that life needed to be balanced.
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Have there been any significant moments for you since graduating from the College of Engineering?
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Meet your ESS Staff Engineering Student Services (ESS) is possibly one of the most vital resources to engineering students on Scott Campus. Home to the offices of faculty and staff of the College of Engineering, ESS is here to help you succeed both in and out of the classroom. Located in PKI 107, don’t let ESS be a mystery to you.
Jen Skidmore What role(s) do you play within the College of Engineering? My role in Engineering Student Services is Director of Student Development. What that means is that I’m here to ensure students have the support they need to be involved in the college, facilitate connections (between students and each other, their major, industry, faculty, and more), provide opportunities for growth, and in general help make sure you’re successful while you’re in the college. I also work on ensuring the College of Engineering’s programming is inclusive of students from all backgrounds and identities. How can you help students? I don’t really meet one-on-one with students, but my team does! Some of the great events my team and I run include The Complete Engineer Conference, The Durham School Career Fair, The N.U.B.E. Experience, Engineering Readiness
Academy, and E-Week. We also support student organizations and can help you with your career development (resumes, cover letters, and more). I can help students by helping you identify how to get involved and which events might be best for you to attend! What do you like most about your job? I get really excited when students set goals and make progress toward them. I’m in higher education because I want to help students feel more confident and able to tackle any challenge, so I’m happy when I can help students in this way. Also, our students in the College of Engineering are just fantastic to work with! How do you relax/recharge? My weekends and weeknights are precious to me. I do yoga three times a week to find balance and cultivate peace. I also enjoy baking, cooking, reading, hanging out with my cat, and watching way too much Netflix when I feel lazy (which is allowed!).
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Garrett Gassman What role(s) do you play within the College of Engineering? I am the Assistant Director of Academic Advising and I specifically work with students who are majoring in the Durham School programs – Architectural Engineering, Construction Engineering, and Construction Management. How can you help students? Keeping academics in mind, I help students by assisting in course scheduling and long-term planning, answering college policy and curriculum questions, discussing course load commitment,
and balancing classes, involvement, work, and personal life. I can also help students in adding a minor, changing your major, pursuing an Education Abroad experience, and more! Whatever your goals are, I am here to help you along the way! What do you like most about your job? Helping students accomplish their goals. Engineering students work very hard, so it is a great reward to be able to watch the students I’ve worked with walk across stage at graduation, get internships or full-time positions, and all the other great things they do! How do you relax/recharge? Spending time with my wife, Kelly and our three pets – two dogs Emily and Papi, and our cat who we lovingly call…Kitty and about 10+ other names. Fun fact about Kitty – she knows how to fetch (better than the dogs) and is obsessed with collecting Nerf bullets from Nerf guns.
Kayla Flott What role(s) do you play within the College of Engineering? I am the Academic Advisor for students studying Civil, Electrical, and Computer Engineering. How can you help students? I can help students by advising them on which courses will be best for them to take to help them stay on track towards earning their engineering degree. I can also help students by discussing major changes, career options, how to get involved on campus, and overall just be a resource and mentor to students during their time at UNO.
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What do you like most about your job? What I love most about my job is that every day is something different and I get to work with a diverse group of highly intelligent and motivated students. It’s a great joy to be able to do something you love every day, and in this role I get to wake up knowing that I will be using my talents to play a small part in one of the biggest chapters in a student’s life and that is the most incredible gift to me. How do you relax/recharge? To relax, I love to read, spend time with friends and family or watch shows and movies on Netflix. I also enjoy working out to recharge, and kickboxing is my workout of choice!
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Bonnie Martin What role(s) do you play within the College of Engineering? As the Career Services Coordinator, I have roughly five pillars in my role: career coaching, teaching Engineering 200, coordinating The Durham School Career Fair, assessment, and connecting industry to students via events, etc.
What do you like most about your job? My job is so rewarding. I get to see students gain confidence, articulate their strengths, and ultimately land jobs; there are such concrete, tangible outcomes for the work I do! How do you relax/recharge? Recently, watching the Netflix series “Call the Midwife”
How can you help students? I can help students with all aspects of their job search—from “how do I start?” to “I have an offer… now what?”
Alma Ramirez-Rodgers What role(s) do you play within the College of Engineering? I coordinate programs and services to assist with current student development. These include programs such as the Engineering Readiness Academy, Engineering Living & Learning Community, ENGR 100 Freshman Seminar, Engineering Study Stop, etc.
management, leadership development, financial literacy, work-life balance, available campus/offcampus resources, and many more. My office is a no-judgment zone where no topic is off limits. Students can schedule Success Coaching sessions with me via MavTRACK or by emailing me directly to set up an appointment. What do you like most about your job? Connecting with, and helping students, is what fills my bucket. Doing this also provides me the opportunity to utilize my Gallup strengths in Empathy, Developer, Positivity and Includer. In addition, working with great colleagues who value your input makes coming to work so much more enjoyable!
How can you help students?
How do you relax/recharge?
Helping students achieve their best selves through Success Coaching is one of the things I truly enjoy doing. Discussions may include topics such as self-
Workout, read, sleep …in that order :)
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All Photos for Student Organizations were provided by the Student Organizations themselves through email or through social media. UNL does not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, color, national origin, sex, religion, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, and/or political affiliation in its programs, activities, or employment. For nondiscrimination inquiries, contact the Director of IEC/Title IX Coordinator or the Section 504/ADA Coordinator at 128 Canfield Admin. Bld., Lincoln, NE 68588, (402) 472-3417, or the Office for Civil Rights.