June 7, 2011 | Volume 108 | Edition 3B
Campus Updates pg. 2
Campus Achievements pg. 3
Campus Life pg. 6 Entertainment pg. 7
Dr. Helena Wisniewski
Dr. Robert McMahan
by Rebeccah MacKinnon, staff
On May 31, Dr. Helena Wisniewski, spoke to the audience in McKinnon Theater about her vision for Kettering University. She was the first presidential candidate to visit Kettering’s campus this past week. She said that it would be presumptuous to have a firm plan before knowing the University, and therefore her first act as president would be to get to know everyone. “I like to walk the halls and get to know people,” she said, citing it as the reason for her success. “I love to work with the students, because you all are the reason we’re here.” Working together could make it easier to get Kettering national and international recognition, one of Dr. Wisniewski’s main goals if she was to become president. With her contacts across industry, the federal government, and academia, she may very well make it possible. She sees three potential key points for improvement over the next three years: increasing enrollment, increasing research revenue, and defining a niche of expertise for the University. Increasing enrollment will fill out the University’s student population, as well as bring in revenue. Research revenue is another important part of the financial health of the University that can be increased by gearing research effort towards the key areas of technological growth outlined earlier in her presentation. Finally, defining a specific area in which Kettering has the best program in the country would increase our national recognition and help recruit students in that field. Dr. Wisniewski’s leadership style has some key characteristics: being a guiding force rather than a micromanager, getting to know people, developing team spirit and a climate of innovation, and, above all, transparency.
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by Matt Gessler, Editor-in-Chief
by Désirée White, Copy Editor
Presidential candidate Dr. Helena Wisniewski Photo courtesy of Dawn Hibbard
Presidential candidate Dr.Robert McMahan Photo courtesy of Dawn Hibbard
Interview with Karen Full
Technician: How are the enrollment numbers looking for the upcoming freshman class? Are they better or worse than expected? Karen Full: Numbers are higher than last year and are about what we would expect. Growth takes some time. The admissions cycle runs through the January term, so we still have 7 months to go. Potential first-time freshmen are still applying for admission, transfer students will begin applying in larger numbers, as well as international students. The admissions counselors are following up with many students every day. Technician: Can you provide the actual numbers for the incoming freshman class?
Kettering Identity pgs. 4-5
Karen Full: It is still too soon to predict the final number, because so many students in the pool are still deciding. Freshmen deposits are running at about 10% ahead of last year, but the total counts will also take new transfer and international students into consideration. We are feeling very positive about growth. Technician: What is the university currently doing to increase enrollment? Karen Full: I can only speak for what the enrollment office is accomplishing, but here are just a few of the things on which we have been working: Working steadily with co-op employers, since so many new jobs have become available. Getting the word out to potential students that the co-op jobs are back.
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Dr. Robert McMahan was the second presidential candidate to visit campus. Educated in astrophysics at Duke, Dartmouth, and a postdoctoral appointment at Harvard, he has a “career anchored in the university.” He currently serves as the Dean for the Kimmel School within Western Carolina University. Before that, he was a faculty member at both the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University. His research projects have been funded by various organizations, such as the CIA, NSF, and NASA. He also owned an applied physics company with strong ties in both industry and academia. He explained that he first learned the “power of hands-on infused learning” in his company. He explained that new employees would have a large theoretical knowledge, but lacked the essential skills for a business setting. Therefore, he became a proponent of co-op learning and a curriculum with industrybased ties. Rather than discussing a plan on how to approach the university’s challenges, he laid out a process. First, he explained, “Higher education is going through a profound change,” that is “more than a marketing and advertising game.” Therefore, the university needs to “understand the landscape of science and engineering education practices” and be “in tune with the public’s advanced learning needs.” In order to start the process, he wants to “create a framework where we all get on the bus together,” but it “doesn’t matter where we are, as long as we all get on together.” In other words, the university will “need a shared vision and values.” He strongly advocated transparency within the university, which “sets a culture to create trust.”
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Goodbye Lunch For Dr. and Mrs. Liberty
Students, staff, and faculty are invited to come to the Great Court on Wednesday June 8th from noon to 2 p.m. to say good-bye to President Stan Liberty and his wife, Angie. Please enjoy cake and punch with them, and offer a fond farewell to the Libertys.
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Kettering University - The Technician June 7, 2011
Campus Updates
Four Years Later...
by Désirée White, Copy Editor
As I approach the end, I look back at the numerous events that brought me to this point. Admittedly, at the beginning, I swore to avoid extracurricular activities until after the first semester. I was taking nineteen credits hours and the real organic chemistry. I wanted to gauge college life, find a balance, and if I still had free time, join a club or two. I went out, socialized with other people, but I did not join any organizations. My resolution lasted less than four weeks. My first club meeting was with WKUF, the radio station. A friend tagged me on my way back from a six to eight. By the end of the night, I had my own country show! A few days earlier, I had seen a posting to be a teacher’s aide. In the same week, I acquired a job at the elementary school across the street, too. The first semester got my feet wet, but the true test came in the second semester. I took on more responsibilities with the radio station, kept working, joined The Technician, and went through the Greek education process (Along the way, I realized it was not for me, but no one ever held it against me). Among all that, I spent an afternoon becoming a Kettering model! The beginning of work term was always a reprieve, but by the end, I wanted to feel like a college student again. I was one of the many students that switched jobs. I started at GM, left when the future was unclear, and picked up a job at Argonne, located just outside Chicago. Working out-of-state in a large city was a completely different experience than the familiar, metro Detroit one. It instilled a greater sense
of independence, but going home was much less convenient. As a freshman, I was told junior year would be the worst. I never found the difference between sophomore and junior year, but the first and last were definitely easier than the middle. I will never remember the semester of twentytwo credits with thirty contact hours. To add to my self-induced craziness, it was my first term as Assistant Station Manager for WKUF and Copy Editor for The Technician. I was vindicated when all but one of the five finals were scheduled on the snow day in fall 2008. The last year was spent determining my future, and attending graduate school is the best option for me. Although I am not done with schooling after Kettering, senioritis hit me during zero week, and its symptoms have significantly progressed. Now that it is June, the countdown is on. The Kettering experience has been dynamic and engaging. I witnessed President Obama giving a speech during his campaign, the King of Sweden’s visit at the beginning of the biogas project, the implementation of the chemical engineering curriculum, the change from Third Avenue to University Avenue, and various other major and minor changes in both the university and the community. In the bigger picture, I have made only small differences in my organizations, but personally, they feel like significant accomplishments. I will never recover the sleep I lost, but the cliché, “Given the choice, I would do it the same way,” stands.
Editorial: Presidential Candidate
by Rebeccah MacKinnon, staff and Désirée White, Copy Editor
This past week, Kettering was visited by the two finalists for the position of University President. We heard presentations from both Dr. Helena Wisniewski and Dr. Robert McMahan about what they consider the right direction for Kettering. Both held transparency and communication within the university in high regard, things that would greatly benefit the Kettering community. After seeing both presentations and reviewing the job description, The Technician believes the university would benefit most from having Dr. Wisniewski as president. Although she was less charming, with her Ph.D. in Mathematics and extensive experience in academia, government, and industry, Dr. Wisniewski has the ability to help Kettering reach its full potential. In her presentation, she outlined a strategy for increasing funding and enrollment, but the flexible plan can and will change as she gets to know the university’s culture. She also outlined previous situations where she was successful in encouraging growth in the university. The questions posed to her by students and faculty were answered directly, but did not overstep her bounds as a new visitor on campus. Even more so, having a woman president would show a progres-
Technician Staff
Editor-in-Chief: Matt Gessler
Layout Editor: Chris Sanocki
Copy Editor: Désirée White
Staff: David Lingerfelt Tom Gale Jon Crombe Rebeccah MacKinnon Chris Craft
Advisors: Betsy Homsher David Marshall
sion. By having a woman president, Kettering would demonstrate progression in the maledominated science and engineering industries. She opposes Dr. McMahan, who spent the majority of his time having a long-winded conversation with the audience about himself. He left little time for questions, even when told by the moderator that he was running long, and what ones he took were answered with a loquacious, round-about soliloquy that did not answer the question. His personality on stage was similar to that of a bad politician trying to garner favor with the audience. This is not to say he would be a glib president. In fact, his business background would make him an ideal candidate for raising revenue. He understands the benefit of the co-op experience, a central part of this school, and would continue to remain an advocate for it. However, his smooth-talking demeanor makes one question if the man on paper matches the real person. All things considered, either candidate would do great things as Kettering’s president. However, the benefits of having Dr. Wisniewski as our leader for the next few years are such that she would be the best candidate for the position.
Submission Policy
The Technician welcomes submissions from Kettering University students, faculty, and staff as long as writers identify themselves and their affiliation with the University and provide contact information. No anonymous submissions will be accepted. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the Technician staff or of Kettering University. We reserve the right to edit for length. Kettering University is a private institution; as such, it need not extend freedom of speech protection as described in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Submissions must be sent electronically to btechnician@kettering.edu.
Relay for Life
by Rebeccah MacKinnon, staff
This past Friday and Saturday, realSERVICE put on Kettering University’s sixth annual Relay for Life. Over 100 registered participants played games, listened to bands, and walked the track for 24 hours to raise money for the American Cancer Society. Over the past few months of fundraising, Kettering’s Relay raised thousands of dollars through personal fundraising, team fundraisers such at Phi Delta Theta’s GM to GMI Race for a Cure, and on site fundraisers such as Pi Kappa Alpha’s dunk tank. Between Kettering’s Relay and that of the City of Flint, which was happening at the same time as ours, this community raised over $11,000 to fight the battle against cancer. Relay for Life is a walk-a-thon benefiting the American Cancer Society. Cities and college campuses across the nation hold Relays in their community to raise money to fund the search for a cure to cancer.
Reconceptualizing the Senior Experience by Rebeccah MacKinnon, staff
Kettering faculty and staff have been working together to make your senior year even more of a fulfilling experience. A fourteen person task force has been appointed from across the disciplines by the Provost to take a look at what employers and graduate schools want from our students and is using that information to, according to Caron Wilson, “reconceptualize the senior year experience.” According to Wilson, the task force has been split up into subcommittees to examine each facet of a student’s senior year and see what can be done to improve it. This ranges from adding more alternatives to the thesis on a department basis, to expanding the capstone to interdisciplinary projects, to the possibility of incorporating undergraduate research into the fabric of this school. “We want to set our grads apart,” said Wilson. The committee plans to have their ideas implemented by the end of August.
For more information on the Presidential Candidates, their presentations, and the selection process, see pages 1, 4, and 5. Colophon
The Technician is published triweekly by the students of Kettering University and financed, in part, by the Kettering University Student Activities Fee.
Submission Deadlines
Look for the first edition of the A-section Technician in late July!
Meetings are Thursdays at 12:20pm in the Technician Office
Kettering University - The Technician
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June 7, 2011
Campus Achievements
Commencement Information
paper, and she is currently president of the Chemistry Club. She also served as a teacher’s aide at Durant Tuuri-Mott Elementary School since her freshman year.
by Patricia Mroczek, University Communications
Kettering University will host Commencement ceremonies for more than 190 graduates on Saturday, June 11, 2011. The 11 a.m. event is free and open to the public in the Connie and Jim John Recreation Center. U.S. Senator Carl Levin will present the Commencement address and will receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree. Kettering will graduate 133 undergraduates and 61 master’s candidates during graduation services, with 118 undergraduate and 29 graduate students expected to march during the ceremonies. University President Stan Liberty will preside over ceremonies. Dr. Laura Sullivan, Faculty Senate moderator, will be the grand marshal. Here are the highlights of the upcoming ceremony: Saturday, June 11, 2010, 11 a.m. The event is free and open to the public Allow 1 1/2 hours for the ceremony Presiding: Kettering University President Stan Liberty Parking is free and available in all campus parking lots Information Center on first floor of the Campus Center at BJ’s Lounge from 8:30 - 10:45 a.m. Faculty will host a light breakfast, International Room, fifth floor, Campus Center, 8:30 -10 a.m. Recreation Center doors open at 9 a.m. for visitors to arrive and be seated Faculty and staff assemble for the Processional between 10-10:55 a.m. in the third floor, Recreation Center Graduates assemble on the first floor of the Campus Center between 10:30-10:55 a.m. Formal processional begins at 11 a.m. Grand Marshal: Dr. Laura Sullivan, Faculty Senate Moderator COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER: U.S. Senator Carl Levin (D-Michigan) Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree The Commencement Speaker is U.S. Senator Carl Levin (D-Michigan). He will receive an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters. Sen. Levin is a frequent visitor and a long-time supporter of Kettering. He has shown special interest in Kettering’s alternative energy research, its collaborations with Michigan’s public universities and Kettering’s impact on economic development in mid-Michigan. TIME Magazine has named him one of America’s 10 best senators. Sen. Levin has been a member the Armed Services Committee for many years and has served as the committee’s chairman since 2005.
PRESIDENT’S MEDAL WINNERS: 3 Ryan T. Gee, Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, Novi, Mich. Joy R. Jeyaratnam, Mechanical Engineering, Steubenville, Ohio Désirée K.E. White, Biochemistry, Attica, Mich. SOBEY SCHOLARS: 2 Ryan T. Gee, Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, Novi, Mich. Joy R. Jeyaratnam, Mechanical Engineering, Steubenville, Ohio
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT SPEAKER: Kristen M. Warren The undergraduate student speaker is Kristin M. Warren, a Mechanical Engineering major with a Bioengineering Applications specialty and a Business minor. She is from Hernando, Miss., and attended Kettering on a Gates Millennium Scholarship. Her co-op experiences were at General Motors Proving Grounds in Michigan and Eli Lilly in Indiana. Warren has been active on campus as the multi-cultural student representative for Kettering Student Government, president of Pi Tau Sigma Mechanical Engineering Honor Society and a member of the Robot Society. Her community service ranged from Minorities in Engineering Program of Indianapolis to the Flint Children’s Museum and My Brother’s Keeper Men’s Shelter. She plans to continue her education at Carnegie Mellon University, where she will pursue a master’s and Ph.D. funded by the Gates scholarship. OUTSTANDING THESIS AWARD: Désirée White The winner of this term’s Outstanding Thesis Award is Désirée White, a Biochemistry major from Detroit and one of only 40 college students nationwide to receive a 2011 NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program grant to pursue an advanced degree in Biological Science. After graduation, she plans to attend Purdue University to pursue a Doctorate in Biomedical Engineering. White’s research was a collaboration with her academic adviser Dr. Montserrat Rabago-Smith on the DNA of eye color. Their findings were recently published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Human Genetics. While at Kettering she was an active student leader, managing the student-run radio station, WKUF 94.3 LPFM, for three years, serving as an editor for The Technician, the student news-
LEADERS FELLOW: 1 Ryan T. Gee, Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, Novi, Mich. ACADEMIC HONORS: Cum Laude: 16 Magna Cum Laude: 12 Summa Cum Laude: 14 TOTAL GRADUATES, BY DEGREE: Bachelor’s Degrees Biochemistry: 1 Business Administration/BSBA: 5 Computer Engineering: 6 Computer Science: 6 Electrical Engineering: 20 Engineering Physics: 1 Industrial Engineering: 14 Manufacturing Engineering: 1 Mechanical Engineering: 70 Dual Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics: 1 Dual Computer Engineering and Electrical Engineering: 2 Dual Electrical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering: 5 Dual Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Physics: 1 BACHELOR’S TOTAL = 133 Master’s Degrees Engineering: 15 Engineering Management: 7 Manufacturing Management: 3 Manufacturing Operations: 13 MBA: 14 Operations Management: 5 Dual MBA and Engineering: 1 Dual MBA and Engineering Management: 1 Dual Manufacturing Management and Operations Management: 2 MASTER’S TOTAL = 61
Students Win International Technology Award by Patrick Hayes, Director of Publications
Three Kettering students were named winners of the 2011 Italian Machine Tool Technology Award. They were among just eight college students nationally to receive the award. Mitchell Krogman (Industrial Engineering), William Seldon (Mechanical Engineering) and Cory Hayes (Mechanical Engineering) will travel to Milan, Italy, as guests of the Italian Machine Tool Manufacturers Association. They will visit several Italian machine tool companies and take part in an advanced international engineering program at the Polytechnic of Milan between July 2 -16. The students entered papers on machining and machine tool topics in a contest
as part of Dr. W.L. Scheller’s IME 403 CNC Machining course during the winter 2011 term. “It is really a joy to mentor Kettering students competing against students from other universities,” Scheller said. “Of the eight awards in this technical paper competition, three went to our students. I think this really shows the caliber of the students here at Kettering University, as well as the maturity and knowledge they develop from applying what they learn on campus to practical problems for their co-op employers. Mitch, Cory, and Will are the best of the best!” Seldon said that he’s looking forward to
comparing assembly lines in Italy to the ones he’s seen in the United States. “It will be interesting to compare and contrast,” he told the Flint Journal. “One thing might work for one company and not for everybody, but it’s good to see how other people do things and how they approach the same problems differently.” Scheller told the newspaper that he believes Kettering’s classroom, lab and co-op opportunities helped the students do so well in the competition. “I believe that one of the reasons their papers were so high quality was that they have experience both in industrial settings, as well as the classroom.”
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Kettering University - The Technician June 7, 2011
Kettering Identity
As a graduating senior, I have had the opportunity to call Kettering University home since Fall 2006. Kettering is an exciting university filled with opportunities and people I could have never imagined. Since I started, a lot has changed around campus. One of the most visible changes is the student population. It’s no surprise the university has seen a sharp decrease in the number of enrolled students the past few years; a major economic downturn will do that. With the economy’s improvement, why isn’t a school with such a rich, deep history also improving? In this graduating senior’s opinion, there are two major questions to ask. First: do the majority of Kettering students still agree with their college choice? Second: is the university’s idea of the “perfect fit” an accurate model for the type of student who will excel at Kettering? To answer the former, we must look to the co-op program. Several students have expressed that without co-op they would have not considered enrolling here. As someone who fully enjoyed and has seen the benefits the program can offer, I beg the administration to not change the co-op aspect of the school. Please do not remove the fact that it is required or starting freshman year. The co-op program is an outstanding source of education. Real world experience cannot be found in a book. Are you the “perfect fit” for Kettering University? I usually ask this jokingly among friends, but looking further into this statement poses some potential explanations into the enrollment problem at the university. We find from past campaigns that Kettering seeks “the problem solver, the innovator, the mathlete, the future CEO.” I have also found several people who will “be my boss someday” or people who are “massively ahead of the game.” There are also some people with leftover parts and have proof they’ve made it better. But these are just words, a mere description of one specific aspect of our school. Thus my point: what type of school are we selling to potential students? The job of the new car salesman is easy in comparison to the used car salesman. A new car comes with a warranty, a guarantee that if something goes wrong it will be fixed. The used car salesman must sell a vehicle not often in prime condition. The tampered odometer or rusted frame can be hidden, but after spending time with the car, the new owner will find them. Every person who has asked me how I like Kettering received the same response. I tell them the truth. I enjoyed every term I spent here. The classes are rigorous, but the satisfaction that comes with learning is great. The moving between work and school is tiresome, but that’s how life lessons are learned. The co-op job is required, but that’s what makes it rich. The social life is less than other schools, but the lifelong friendships made are greater. Kettering is uniquely its own, precisely why many students come here. It is tough to pigeon-hole the university into mathletes and future CEOs when several other types of students could potentially be the perfect fit. It is not easy to find the “Kettering Student” in a crowd of high school seniors, but it is easy to find the Kettering/GMI alumni in the work place. He or she is the one who is paving the way in a field, excelling at the tasks given, and using the knowledge learned from more than just books to excel as a thinker. This alumnus in the work place was once the Kettering/ GMI student amongst the crowd. In the past, the school was sought and accepted as one of the nation’s best. How are we being sought now? What is the school’s vision? Where are we going? Kettering is taking steps, but I wish I knew in what direction. When the direction becomes strikingly visible, I believe we will again become sought by “the Kettering student” among the high school seniors.
Trimesters Affecting Student Life
by Chris Sanocki, Layout Editor
DISCLAIMER: This article references a document written in 2008 about a trimester proposal at that time and does not refer to the current trimester proposal. Technician: What motivated you and Jim Huggins to write this analysis/critical essay? Professor Wilkinson: It started with me trying to understand the proposal and to understand exactly how it would play out. I always suspected, by reading it over, that we would have a very different kind of student experience, because it just didn’t look like it was going to be the same sort of A and B section arrangement. So I started to draw this out, recording how this would work over time. Not just one class, but in a steady state, where we have all classes represented in the new system, how would they line up and would there be consistency? I brought this idea to Jim Huggins and he started playing with how we could portray this. We thought it was important to illustrate, to describe, some of the effects of this proposal that were not easily seen. T: What do you see as the key points or concerns raised by the essay? W: There has been a concern, that when students start co-op in the summer, they are really not ready. They have not had any college classes at all. They come right out of high school, they go to co-op, and then they come to campus. We should not do that. They should come right to campus in the fall. Recent data indicates that hardly any students co-op their very first summer. We get complaints from co-op employers that the students, just out of high school, are just not ready for co-op. Maybe some are not, and we should have a system for determining that, that doesn’t deprive the students that are ready of that opportunity. Institutional data shows that students just don’t end up in co-op their first summer. So we have a way of solving that without changing everything. I started to imagine what it would be like to be a freshmen, with all freshmen being on campus at the same time for at least two terms, but after those terms. Instead they would be coming back with a different set of senior students, but which group of senior students, [who are] yet to be decided. After you arrive, then it would be determined. Perhaps on the basis of your
co-op and employer would determine what rotation you would be in. But, while you are first trying to get acquainted, you would not know which students you will be returning with. You going to get acquainted with one group of students who are running the fraternities and sororities and the student government during the first term here and then you are going to be acquainted with another group of students during the second term here, because they are on their rotation already. That part troubled me, as a sociologist and knowing how people form relationship and how important continuity in relationships is, and how unsettling it is to not know where your place is at the time you leave to go to your co-op placement. The quality of the experience on campus may be affected. Maybe we wouldn’t have the same sort of quality for student life. Maybe greek life would be weaker; maybe student government would be weaker. Students would be focused on academics and co-op. As long as that is a satisfying experience, then great but my feeling is, and I think that a lot of people in higher education believe that college is so much more than just going to class. It is an opportunity for development as people, developing leadership abilities, learning how to live with each other, learning about responsibility for you community. If we have weak student organization, then we don’t do our full job. T: What results came of this document? W: None. T: No response or rebuttals. W: No. We made it available. I believe it was on Blackboard for a while. But we never heard anything back. Some of the major concerns raised by Professors Wilkinson and Huggins about the proposed schedule change back in 2008 are still valid with the current proposal. Both proposals require incoming freshmen to have at least two school terms, back to back, before a co-op term. This contains the potential to upset social ties when students are separated into sections. Both proposals require one section to “switch” for their final academic term. This switch removes the support structure the students spent three years creating. If you are interested in reading the full report, it can be found on The Technician website: http://bulldogs.kettering.edu/technician
Dr. Wisniewski presenting in McKinnon Theatre Photo Courtesy of Matt Gessler
Selling the Used Car
by Jeff Schubring
Kettering University - The Technician
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June 7, 2011
Kettering Identity Dr. Wisniewski ...continued from page 1
By working together in a transparent manner, Kettering can become a nationally recognized program of excellence in applied science, math, and engineering. When faced with tough questions from the students, faculty, and staff attending her speech, Dr. Wisniewski responded with as much certainty as possible for someone who had been on campus for less than twenty-four hours. “We have to set priorities,” she said, when asked how she planned to implement her proposed initiatives on the current strapped budget. “The amount of changes that need to be made varies across the board.” However, she said that one of her first goals would be to create stability in the administration, so she would not begin with a large amount of cuts, as implied by a student question. Dr. Wisniewski completed her undergraduate degree in Mathematics at William Patterson University and her Ph.D. from The Graduate Center of the City University of New York. She has worked in academia, the government, and industry, having such notable positions as being the founder of the mathematics program at DARPA and the Vice President of University Research and Enterprise Development at Stevens Institute of Technology.
Dr. McMahan ...continued from page 1
He wants a shared government where all aspects of the organization are represented and has representatives of each part of the University gather to discuss pertinent issues. That will align and provide a direction for the university to pursue. As part of his goal for transparency, Dr. McMahan wants to listen to the culture, voices, and understand the nature and structure of the University. He believes in walking the halls, talking, and mainly, listening. He believes that walking around is the “twin of transparency.” He mentioned various examples of transparency he uses and sees. He talked about how he posted the budget for his organization yearly, and mentioned another leader who gives a “report card” of the institution. Overall, he supports the co-op experience, transparency, and wants to put Kettering on a track to reach defined goals. To do this, he wants to incorporate the different perspectives in the university. He understands the need for communication and the dynamics of higher education.
Presidential Search Process
by Chris Craft, staff
The community at Kettering University has been abuzz with talk of the Presidential search process, with students, staff and faculty all taking part in the recent candidate campus visits. The process leading up to this point was a long winding road of necessary secrecy with a laundry list of candidates. Technician staff member Chris Craft sat down with Laura Sullivan and Karen Palmer (two members of the Presidential Search Committee) to discuss the search process so far, and what is going to happen moving forward. The search process began in October of 2010 when the Board of Trustees asked for faculty and staff representation. Laura Sullivan (ME Professor), Karen Palmer (Associate EE / CE Professor) and Viola Sprague (Executive Director of IT) were selected to advise the board of trustees in choosing a new president. The Board contacted Heidrick and Struggles, Inc. (heretofore referred to as H&S), a company specializing in finding executives, to create a job posting and also to aid in finding candidates. After consulting with the committee, H&S was given an extremely vague idea of the personality traits that the committee was looking for in a candidate. In November, the job posting was put online (just one month after the committee contacted H&S). H&S began contacting individuals from a wide variety of backgrounds who fit the profile that was created, along with screening resumes from external submitters. H&S met with the committee to go through resumes together, and to get a better idea of what the Kettering community was looking for. After refining their search, H&S prepared a binder of candidates they thought would be a good fit. The committee was given a list of approximately 60 names that H&S found to be suitable. The candidates were from a wide variety of backgrounds, with varying degrees of education and work experience. From this, the committee worked to narrow the list down
to about 20 of the most promising candidates. After further reduction, a series of face-to-face meetings and phone interviews were conducted with 12 of the 20 candidates. Secrecy at this point was a must, seeing as many of the candidates were currently serving at other institutions. Due to the nature of networking the names had to remain anonymous. Finally, the list was narrowed down to 7 names. A big concern of the committee’s was that they would pick their favorites; the favorites would come to campus and they end up disliking something they saw. To combat this, Gary Cowger and Charlie Kettering III (both board members) met with each of the remaining candidates, and provided full disclosure about Kettering. The candidates were told outright what the salary would be, and were ultimately asked “what would keep you from coming?”. Both candidates Dr. McMahan and Dr. Wisniewski expressed sincere interest becoming President. Very shortly after the committee had finally made a decision on the candidates the names of the two candidates were released. Throughout the course of the week leading up to the visits, staff, faculty alumni ranging from the class of 1984 to the class of 2008 were contacted to meet with the candidates. Finally, the two presentations for the community were set up, as the committee deemed it was important for both candidates to get a feel for the students at Kettering. After the presentations, the board will be making the final decision on the candidate selected for president by June 10th at the latest. By July 1st, the new president will take office and Kettering will be under new leadership. Both candidates have expressed interest in holding “town-hall” style meetings for the entire Kettering community within their first 6 months to gauge where the community is, where the community wants to go and how Kettering will move forward from here.
Karen Full
...continued from page 1 Increasing the number of recruiters to previous levels, which will allow admissions to increase recruitment activity (i.e. increasing the number of strategic high school visits and become more focused on out-of-state recruitment). Hiring an international admissions recruiter. Increasing number of campus visits, improving visit programs. This summer, for example, we are holding a series of special Friday programs, which we are calling Dog Days. These will be designed to not only show students what they will experience academically, but to showcase campus life-- how Kettering students spend their time when they are not in class or working. Technician: How would you describe the progress that the university has made in the admissions process (relating to boosting enrollment) from the time you arrived up until now? What major improvements have been made, and what do you think we still need to work on? Karen Full: This year we have greatly improved Kettering’s new student “yield” number. (Yield is the percentage of admitted students who have paid their deposits and plan to attend.) This means that staff, faculty and students at Kettering have done a nice job in working one-on-one with prospective students throughout the admissions process. The Kettering campus has made huge contributions toward the recruitment effort. A number of Kettering students are participating in all kinds of admissions projects. It is gratifying to see that so many of you want to represent Kettering. We will continue to increase our outreach, so that more students apply for admission. We will more effectively reach out to a variety of specific populations such as high schools, teachers, and Kettering alumni. I would ask the Technician to convey this message to Kettering students -- we need YOU to pass along the positive word to others about your Kettering experience. Tell your Kettering story, talk to people about why you attend this university, post your successes on your social networking sites, talk about your co-op job or your experiential learning project, and spread the word about why Kettering is the school that you chose. I know that many of you are accomplishing things that place you ahead of your peers at other universities. We are always looking for cool Kettering videos. Send us your own videos of fun things that you do at Kettering, so that we can post these as well. Prospective students seem to want to learn about life outside of classes and co-op at Kettering. They want to know what sets Kettering apart. You students can help us with this, since you live it! Technician: What is your opinion on the proposed schedule change? Do you think it will be a big help to boost enrollment? Karen Full: I really do not know at this point. We will adapt the recruitment message to work with whatever is decided. It is my understanding that the university is investigating possible scenarios that will focus on providing students with the best possible academic and learning environment.
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Kettering University - The Technician June 7, 2011
Greek Week: Spring 2011 by Bryan Wang
Campus Life
This terms’ Greek Week introduced new and engaging events to encourage unity and balanced competition between all houses on campus. Events such as the Spaghetti Bridge Contest, where competitors used spaghetti and mini marshmallows to build the strongest spaghetti bridge, and the “Mystery Event,” which increased participation by keeping the competition details unknown, were a big hit with the Greek community. Some old favorites, such as Mock Rock and Tug of War, made a comeback as well. The final standing for this term had Phi Delta Theta placing in first place, Delta Tau Delta in second, and a tie for third place between Sigma Alpha Epsilon and Delta Chi. Thanks to Justin Syrowik, Joe Benyi, and Alex Petit for putting this week together.
Spring 2011 Initiates: Tau Beta Pi
by Janese Jackson
Kettering University Michigan Zeta Chapter would like to welcome twelve new members to Tau Beta Pi for spring 2011. Tau Beta Pi is a leading honor society founded to recognize engineering students of superior scholarship and outstanding character, as well as engineers of eminent achievement. It represents the highest honor to be obtained by an engineering student. To be considered for membership, undergraduates must be ranked in the top eighth of their junior class and top fifth in their senior class. This spring, twelve members were accepted based on their exemplary character displayed to the Michigan Zeta Chapter in addition to their high scholastic achievement. One demonstration of their exemplary character is the campus wide clothes drive that was conducted for the Whaley Children’s Center. The new initiates are: Philip Johnson, Jacob Howarth, Lucas Bell, Zachary Hurst, Alex Mason, Angela Bodjack, Christopher Sanocki, Adam King, Raymond Fabiilli, Kimberly Cole, Jasmine Pizana, and Ashley Jo VanMaldeghem.
Photo courtesy of Bryan Wang
Club Highlight
by Rebeccah MacKinnon, Staff
Mobile Robotics
Are you interested in computer engineering, artificial intelligence, or mechanical engineering? Do you want to learn more about robotics in a fun, interdisciplinary way? Then you may want to look into the Mobile Robotics Club, one of the newest clubs on Kettering’s campus. Club president Seth Borders explained that the club was formed in A-section, then carried over to B-section by ECE professors who want the club to succeed, including their advisor, Professor Tewolde. “It’s our goal to compete in the TGVC competition next June,” he said, going on to explain that it is a competition where unmanned robots must make their way around an obstacle course without hitting any of the obstacles. “I really liked robots, so when I saw a flyer for Mobile Robot-
ics, I went and checked it out,” said Borders. He mentioned how it is a good place to see how the disciplines come together to build a single robot. So if you want to play with some cool robots while munching on some pizza, stop by the Mobile Robotics meeting during lunch on Wednesdays in room 2716.
Each edition, The Technician is profiling a particular club or activity on campus. Check back here each edition to see what you can get involved in! If you want your club or activity profiled, send us an e-mail at btechnician@kettering.edu!
Local Restaurant Review: Cork
by Tom Gale, staff
Located in Downtown Flint on Saginaw Street, “Cork” is a new wine bar and bistro in a newly renovated bank building that has taken on a new life with its renovation. Open since February, the atmosphere has a nice sophisticated yet relaxed feel to it as a bistro, making it an ideal setting where you can enjoy your meal and drink. The first thing you will find here is the wide selection of wines. As you walk in, you will see a wall (and a half) covered with wines. According to the owner, Cork has one of the few automated wine dispensary in the state. The dispensers can pour 1oz, 2.5oz, and 5oz glasses, depending on how much a customer wants of a certain wine in the selection. These dispensaries are placed so that the customers may sample several types of wines. However, these are only a small selection from the vast collection of wines they carry, domestic and imports, in varying range of prices. The typical dinner entrée is priced at about 10 dollars, which is incredibly well priced for the quality food. The menu changes slightly every month, with anything from salads and soups to lamb chops. For a sample of the menu, you can visit their web site, www. corkonsaginaw.com. We ordered the Jamaican jerk chicken with mango mint sauce and the lamb chops. The meal starts off with a nice green side salad, which has very sweet tomatoes and just enough olive oil and vinegar to not cover the natural flavor of the greens. The Jamaican jerk chicken was made with locally raised chicken, giving the meat fresh tenderness to it, with the mango-mint sauce adding just enough sweetness to the overall spicy dish. The lamb chop was cooked medium well, and came with a dab of mint sauce. It was cooked such that the spices were not overpowering the natural flavors of the lamb, and the mint sauce was a good compliment to the flavor. The overall portions are just enough to fill you, but it definitely leaves enough space to make you want dessert. The dessert selection included Creme Brulee, Lemon Citrus Polenta Cake, Coconut Buttermilk Cake, and Chocolate Espresso Walnut Brownie. The creme brulee had a very well crafted solid caramelized layer on top with creme that was sweet just to the right amount. The chocolate espresso walnut brownie came with a topping of vanilla ice creme and chocolate drizzles. The ice cream combined with the slightly dry brownie created a great combination of flavors and textures. All included, the pricing for this type of quality food and service is incredible. With all the wines and drinks, combined with great food, this is a must stop location in downtown Flint.
Chocolate Espresso Walnut Brownie. Photo courtesy of David Lingerfelt
Kettering University - The Technician
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June 7, 2011
Entertainment
Word Cryptogram
by Rebeccah MacKinnon, staff
Each letter has been substituted for a different letter throughout the entire puzzle. Figure out the quote by determining how the letters have been substituted.
Ls ubr yrp gfs gxi jgy ubgk yrp
tssw, lsegpjs kbrjs ubr vmxi irx’k vgkksf, gxi kbrjs ubr vgkksf irx’k vmxi. –If. Jspjj
comic courtesy of familycircus.com
Movie Review
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
by Rebeccah MacKinnon, staff
What one would expect to be a swash-buckling sequel to the popular Pirates of the Caribbean series turned out to be a predictable, yet action-packed film following Captain Jack Sparrow being Captain Jack Sparrow. While hilarious, seeing Johnny Depp portray the generally inebriated pirate for the fourth time has gotten a little stale. This film refocuses the plot of the series away from the previous cast of characters (sorry, ladies, Orlando does not appear in this movie), instead following Jack on his quest to find the Fountain of Youth. However, Jack is not the only one looking for it: he’s accompanied by a newly promoted privateer for the English Navy, Captain Barbossa; the infamous pi-
rate, Blackbeard; the French Navy; and an old flame, Angelica, portrayed by Penelope Cruz. While the action is as good as ever, the plot of this new installment leaves some to be desired. Past the first forty-five minutes or so, one can predict where the plot is going with a decent degree of accuracy. Additionally, the portrayal of Blackbeard could have had a little more swag to it: he wasn’t the most feared pirate of all time for nothing. All in all, the movie is worth the price and the two and a half hours it takes to see the film. It is a Pirates movie, after all, and the action is still impeccable. However, after this movie, it’s about time for Captain Jack to hang up his hat and seek other employment.
photo courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures
Summertime Horoscopes
by Désirée White, Copy Editor
Gemini (May 21 – June 20) Libra (Sept. 22 – Oct. 23) Take advantage of the opportunity sitting in Slow down and analyze the situation before front of you. Don’t hesitate or think; just do it. jumping to conclusions. Each side is foggy, and Love Life: Give it a little more time. you have to work your way through them. Love Life: Things are getting warmer, but Cancer (June 21 – July 22) the blossoms are a little late in coming. Have a little fun this week. Relax, it’ll be good for you. Scorpio (Oct. 24-Nov. 21) Love Life: Bum around with some new pals. It feels like life is stinging you right now. You never know who you’ll meet. You’re going to have to make the best of a bad situation. Leo (July 23 – Aug. 22) Love Life: It may be a long, lonely summer Settle down and check off the stuff on your for you. “to do” list. Missing the fun now will give you more time later. Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Love Life: Eat it up. When you go out to celebrate, bring a new face along. They’ll appreciate you for it, and Virgo (Aug. 23 – Sept. 21) you’ll gain a new confidante in the process. Life is making you crazy, and the craziness Love Life: Sometimes it is good to go too isn’t over yet. Hold on tight. far too fast. Love Life: Although you think this new thing will be good for you, be cautious.
Ages
comic courtesy of xkcd.com
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Take it all in stride, or it will run you over. Love Life: Only a few can lie so easily.
Aquarius (Jan. 20 – Feb. 18) The waves are tumultuous, but if you embrace it, you’re going to have a great time. Love Life: Now that you’re wet, it’s time to go swimming. Pisces (18 Feb. – Mar. 20) If you like how things are going now, it’s going to get better. Soak it up and appreciate it. Love Life: Slow, sensual, and easy. Aries (Mar. 21 – Apr. 19) Make a new friend; you need one right now. Love Life: Feel the burn. Taurus (Apr. 20 – May 20) It’s smooth sailing from here. Share your luck with someone who lost their own. Love Life: Kiss it good-bye.