TUESDAY FEBRUARY 18, 2020
MNSU Engineering Fair brings employers to students Over 50 organizations came to MNSU to speak to students on expanding career field KIERAN KUEHN STAFF WRITER Minnesota State University, Mankato hosted an Engineering Career Fair in the Centennial Student Union Ballroom Saturday, Feb. 13. A total of 60 organizations and over 400 students attended. A variety of opportunities, from automobile production to internet technology to power distribution systems, were offered to students. Organizations involved at the fair included the United States Navy, the State Department, Winnebago, as well as local companies such as Merit Contracting, based out of Rochester, and internet technology agency Crossfuze, based out of Minneapolis. Hosted in-part by the local chapter of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, an international professional organization based out of Piscataway, New
Photo courtesy of Career Development Center’s Facebook
Jersey, the fair lasted for over four hours and featured open conversation with a multitude of representatives from a diverse background. Among the attendees was a representative from the United States State Department who was looking to recruit engineers to aid in providing infrastructure for U.S. embassies across the globe,
from Dhaka, Bangladesh to Bern, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, with the goal of protecting diplomats. The representative suggested the job to students who have the desire to travel overseas. In addition, he remarked how working for the State Department led to him travelling to all the continents while
Sri Lanka Night wows crowd HELLEN AKINYI STAFF WRITER The local Sri Lankan community at Minnesota State University, Mankato held their first signature night, called “Abhimanaya” over the weekend. Abhimanaya translates to ‘the pride of Sri Lanka’. The event was organized by the MavLankans, a Recognized Student Organization compromising of Sri Lankans at MNSU. The authentic Sri Lankan tea in pots on every table showed the depth the students went into making sure the night was memorable for the attendees at the event Saturday, Feb. 15. The hosts of the event announced that last year, Sri Lanka was named the top tourist destination by Lonely Planet, a travel guide book. They then played a detailed and vibrant video that show-
visiting over 60 countries. However, more traditional actors were also present. Merit Contracting is a contracting company that has a variety of achievements under its metaphorical work belt, specifically within roofing and the construction of domes and roofed structures. They are members of the National Roofing Contractors
Grants offered for gender research CAITA PIERSON STAFF WRITER
Students perform cultural dances during the Sri Lanka Signature Night held in the Centennial Student Union Ballroom Saturday, Feb. 15, 2020 in Mankato, Minn. (Prasad Pol/MSU Reporter)
cased their culture, as well as sceneries of the country. Enushka Beruwelage, the event coordinator of Abhimanaya, spent weeks on
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Association and the Midwest Roofing Contractors Association. In addition, they have been recognized as a Firestone Master Contractor as well as earning the Firestone Inner Circle of Quality award. A traditional participant which attended was the Motorhome giant, Winnebago. Winnebago has been instrumental in the creation of recreational vehicles since 1958, and are currently looking to hire for a majority of specialties, from electrical engineering to production specialists. Another company looking to recruit is that of Trystar. Trystar is a portable-energy company which focuses on the transportation and utilization of energy by providing mobile infrastructure that allows for events to occur such as concerts, rallies, and anything that doesn’t necessarily have pre-existing power infrastructure and generation options.
The President’s Commission on the Status of Women is offering grants of up to $500 to students and faculty who participate in women/ gender-related professional development or research. The application for this grant is due at 5 pm on Feb. 24. All professional development or research is required to be completed by June 1, 2020. In an interview with Alena Joseph, the graduate assistant for the PCSW, she went into depth about the grants. “Basically, the commission has set up money, in a sense, to fund students or faculty in either professional development or research,” Joseph said. “They award the grants towards individuals who research or have professional development that has some-
thing to do with uplifting women the University or the community.” Last fall, 15 grants were awarded. Examples of past grants include a conference for black women in engineering and a social justice conference. “We usually try to give grants towards individuals who have never applied for this,” Joseph said. “We try to move the funds to people who’ve never touched any of it.” The PCSW emphasizes on their website that they want the most amount of people to be impacted by the grant. This means they have a hierarchy to who qualifies for the grants first. Those who have never received funds in the past have priority.
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