The Architecture Department celebrated
their 25 year anniversary over the Hawktober 2016 weekend. The weekend
kicked off on Friday with a lecture by alumni, Joseph Kunkel, RA (class
of 2006), Sustainable Native Communities Collaboration, "Designing for
Equity Input & Community Resiliency in Indian Country". On
Saturday, alumni, administrators, faculty, staff, students, and parents,
both past and present, gathered in the Lower Level of HJG's West Wing
for a reception and tour of the studios, wood shop, and fabrication
lab.
The undergraduate architecture program began in 1992 with just 6
students. Today in addition to the undergraduate program we offer a
MArch professional degree program and have almost 200 students.
The New England Chapter of the American
College of Sports Medicine Regional Conference allowed five students
from the Department of Health Science and Nursing and Department of
Electrical and Computer Engineering to expand their learning outside the
classroom.
Approximately one thousand professionals and students attended the
conference that included presentations about exercise science, health
promotion, sports nutrition, and sports medicine through interaction
with leading scientists, clinicians, practitioners, and educators.
Further, the conference provides opportunities for student professional
development and certifications.
Those in attendance from the University of Hartford were:
Hajar AlTamimi, Respiratory Care
Kathryn Clifford, Health Science
Nicholas D'Annolfo, Electromechanical Engineering
Jada Grace, Health Science/Physical Therapy
Amy Kratzer, Health Science
Colleen Muñoz, Assistant Professor of Health Sciences
“The students attended a variety of sessions ranging from how to be
competitive on graduate school applications to science sessions about
perivascular stem cells and skeletal muscle adaptations,” said Muñoz.
“These opportunities help students as they develop their knowledge base
of physiology, scientific methodology and presentation, and they get to
see first-hand the benefits of being involved in a scientific community
at every stage of professional development.”
The students also met several leaders in the fields of clinical
exercise physiology and sports medicine, as well as the organization’s
recent national presidents.
CETA BSEE Stduents at the IEEE Broadcast Symposium
CETA
Electrical Engineering and Audio Engineering Technology students and
Professors Ladimer Nagurney and David Shuman of CETA's Electrical and
Computer Engineering Department were hosted by the IEEE Broadcast
Society at the 2016 IEEE Broadcast Symposium held in Hartford October
12-14.
The symposium is one of the world's preeminent technical
conferences on broadcasting technology. The students were able to
participate in the tutorials and technical sessions of the symposium and
to network with broadcast industry engineering professionals.
Friday, September 16 was a day
filled with architecture students immersed in BIM - Building
Information Modeling - from one of the leaders in the application of BIM, Shawmut
Construction. BIM is the latest digital tool used by architects, engineers,
construction managers, and contractors to document and coordinate the design
and construction process of buildings.
The day was divided between an
intensive morning session in the architecture studios followed by a visit to
the construction site of the new St. John Hall Student Center at Choate
Rosemary Hall school. The Center was designed by Bowie Gridley
Architects and is being constructed by Shawmut. During the morning session
students were shown how BIM allowed the design and construction team to
visualize the project and coordinate the architectural, structural, mechanical,
electrical and building systems elements before the construction began, saving
time and expense for the owner. Tom Perry, Nick Kornacki and Tim
Grant, all from Shawmut, brought the students into the process
through demonstration and hands-on experience with the BIM software.
After lunch the students took a
short bus trip to Wallingford to walk through the new student center under
construction. Lisa Bendas, the project manager for Shawmut and a
graduate of the University of Hartford Department of Architecture
Bachelor of Science AET program, gave the students a detailed tour of the
building as it was taking shape. They were able to physically walk through
spaces that they had virtually walked through in the morning. It was a
tremendous learning experience and helped the students see the reality of
construction - preparing them to visualize how their future designs turn into
reality through the construction process.
This event was developed through the
collaboration of the Construction Institute, the University's Facilities
Department, the Department of Architecture, and Shawmut Construction . The
Department thanks Nancy Greenwald of the Construction Institute
for her continued support of programs such as this, Nick Macy of the Facilities
Department for his tireless work in coordinating both the morning and
afternoon sessions, and Shawmut Construction for their time and
expertise.
Earning an engineering degree at the University of Hartford pays. That’s the word from Business Insider
magazine, which just published its list of “colleges where engineering
students go on to make the most money.” The University’s College of Engineering, Technology, and Architecture (CETA)
ranks #14 on the list right alongside MIT, Carnegie Mellon, Tufts, and
Cooper Union. According to the article, the early career median pay for
UHart engineering majors is $61,900. Mid-career professionals from CETA
earn a median salary of $130,000. (See the full list and read more about Business Insider’s methodology.)
“The high ranking in this nationwide survey is a credit to our
accomplished alumni and the faculty and staff who prepared them so
well,” says CETA Dean Lou Manzione. “We emphasize
career readiness and hold many events where our students engage with our
partner companies. This helps them to launch into their careers,
realize early success, and sustain that success through solid
understanding of the profession.”
CETA engineering students begin gaining real-world experience right
away. They work on projects requested by companies such as Otis
Elevator, Pratt & Whitney, and Medtronic, as well as government
agencies like NASA. Putting skills learned in the classroom to practice
on real projects often gives them an edge over other job applicants.
“One of the things we are trying to instill in our students is that it’s not just about getting a degree,” explains David Pines,
CETA assistant dean for student support and a professor of civil and
environmental engineering. “It’s also about what you do with the degree
and starting your professional career. We want them to think about their
careers.”
Kimberly Colavito, who graduated last spring and is
currently working toward her Master of Science with a focus on
structural engineering, is just one of Pines’s students who is
benefitting from this philosophy.
“CETA has done an amazing job preparing me for a job upon graduation,”
she says. “Because of CETA's connections, among various other reasons, I
have received several employment offers but had to turn them down since
I am currently attending graduate school. I had an internship this past
summer at General Dynamics Electric Boat and have received an offer for
employment upon graduation next year.”
This ranking is also a good indicator for Connecticut’s economy.
Because the engineering job market is much better here than in their
home states, many CETA graduates stay in the state and spend their
earnings here.
“We are an importer of talent into Connecticut,” Manzione says.
“Connecticut firms benefit from that, but clearly our graduates do as
well, quickly rising up to leadership roles in their organizations.”
CETA is prepared to continue to provide talented workers to the region
for the foreseeable future. Professor Pines recently appeared on WFSB-TV
to discuss CETA graduates being ready to fill some of the 8,000 jobs
that Pratt & Whitney will soon bring to the state. Watch the story:
Engineering Alumnus Involved in UHart Library
Renovation Ignites Students' Interest in the Construction Industry
Electrical engineering student
Merlene Buchanan '19 gets career advice from Jim Alibrandi '84.
“Be excited, and stay excited.”
That’s one piece of advice Jim
Alibrandi ’84 shared with engineering and architectural students during a visit
to campus this month. Alibrandi, who is president of Interstate Electrical
Services, a Massachusetts company founded by his father, shed some light on how
to create a successful career path in the field of construction.
Alibrandi’s company is designing and
constructing electrical systems for the expansion of the University’s Mortensen
Library, which is underway. The highly anticipated completion is expected by
May 2017. (Read more about the library renovation project.) His excitement and
passion for doing a project at his alma mater was evident as he emphasized to
today’s students how they can apply their UHart education to “create, design,
and build in the industry.”
“There is a growing demand for and
shortage of a younger workforce within the construction industry, which is
translating into exciting career opportunities for students majoring in
engineering and architecture,” Alibrandi explained. “Positions in project
management, project engineering, designing, building information modeling (BIM)
detailing, and all aspects of build and design, can offer students the
satisfaction of taking a design all the way from drawing table to completion.”
Marquis Williams ‘17, who is from
Brooklyn, N.Y., and who plans to graduate with both a BS in Architecture and a
BS in Civil Engineering agrees. Marquis interned at Shelton, Conn.-based Turner
Construction over the summer, and found it to be a “lucrative and worthwhile
learning opportunity.” Marquis said, “I have seen many drawings and plans in
class, but I had not seen cement poured before.” After talking one-on-one with
Alibrandi, he now realizes his internship experience has given him an edge.
For Denise Prussen ’19, a civil
engineering major from Long Island, N.Y., the opportunity to speak with an
engineer in the construction field was insightful and motivating. “Mr.
Alibrandi’s success as an electrical engineer and his passion for construction
has made me even more excited about my initial plans to work in construction
project management.”
Both Denise and electrical
engineering major Merlene Buchanan ’19, were glad to learn their early exposure
in the classroom to engineering-specific software technology like AutoCAD and
3D modeling will pay off in future internship opportunities. Alibrandi says
that technology has helped change the way the construction profession operates.
UNOTES - 9/16/16
Friday, August 26, 2016
Awards Recognize Faculty and Staff Achievement
Twelve faculty and staff members
were recognized for their exceptional contributions during this year’s, 2016-17,
Faculty/Staff Kickoff.
The College of Engineering,
Technology, and Architecture is proud to announce and congratulate two of the
winners as CETA faculty:
Awards
for Innovations in Teaching and Learning:
Seth Holmes - Assistant Professor of Architecture in the College of
Engineering, Technology, and Architecture:
Last fall, graduate students in Holmes's "Advanced Building
Systems" course built six different huts to analyze the effectiveness of
architectural design methods in relation to indoor environment comfort and
energy use. You may have seen the huts located near Lincoln Theater and the
picnic grove on the residential side of campus. This active learning technique
promotes students’ ability to evaluate and apply knowledge to real-world
architectural design proposals.
(L-R) Interim Provost H. Frederick
Sweitzer, Associate Professor Nels Highberg, Professor Katherine
Stevinson-Nollet, Professor Robert Carl, Assistant Professor Seth Holmes,
University President Walter Harrison
The Women’s Advancement Initiative Faculty Fellowship Program:
Ivana Milanovic - Professor of Mechanical
Engineering in the College of Engineering, Technology, and Architecture
Milanovic is an inspiring teacher, tireless professional, and excellent
researcher, who always focuses on her students and the community. She is an
expert in developing high-impact practices in teaching and a champion in using
multimedia and enriched content.
(L-R) Interim Provost H. Frederick
Sweitzer, Professor Ivana Milanovic, Amy Jaffe Barzach, University President
Walter Harrison
