Friday, January 27, 2012
WaTER Center Director, David Sabatini, Featured in Jan. 2012 Inform Publication
David Sabatini, a long-time member of the American Oil Chemists' Society and the Surfactants and Detergents Division, has been introducing technology that can remove contaminants from water supplies in remote villages in southern Cambodia and Ethiopia.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
OU course to prepare students to work in developing regions
Beginning in May, the University of Oklahoma will offer a field methods course designed to help prepare engineering students to work in developing regions. Coordinators hope to see other universities around the country create similar programs.
BY SILAS ALLEN
Published: January 18, 2012
NORMAN — About two years ago, members of the engineering faculty at the University of Oklahoma saw a problem.
Students attending the university's engineering school were graduating and going to work in developing countries. But in many cases, these students didn't have sufficient training to work in those environments, said David Sabatini, a professor in OU's School of Civil Engineering and Environmental Science.
“You hear the stories about students who arrive in-country with the best of intentions, but are not fully prepared,” Sabatini said.
Later this year, the university plans to roll out a program it hopes will help solve that problem. Beginning in May, the school will offer a field methods course designed to help prepare students to work in those developing regions, said Sabatini, the director of OU's Water Technologies for Emerging Regions Center, or WaTER Center, a part of the School of Civil Engineering and Environmental Science.
The problem, he said, has been that students were leaving the university and signing up with the Peace Corps, the U.S. Agency for International Development and other nongovernmental organizations without being properly trained to work in developing countries.
When they are in that environment, those students face challenges that don't exist in the United States. They're often in remote areas and don't have access to the same resources they're used to, he said.
How they'll learn
The course will be held six hours a day during the three-week intersession in May, said Jim Chamberlain, the center's staff researcher, and most of that time will be spent in the field. The students will spend an hour to two hours in a lecture session, he said, with the rest being spent outdoors working on a number of projects.
Students will learn to build aboveground composting latrines, drill wells by hand and test for contaminants in a stream. They'll also build bio-sand filters, a type of water filtration system that uses a layer of bacteria to remove contaminants from water.
Because many of the students who participate will go on to do work related to water security and sanitation, it's especially important for them to have a sound background in water testing, as well as construction skills.
“A lot of these kids have never hammered nails before,” he said. “They've certainly never poured concrete or worked with block.”
The students also will learn to write and conduct community health surveys, Chamberlain said.
Those surveys help workers in developing areas get an idea of how people live in the area — where they get their water, for instance, and how to wash dishes. Collecting that information is critical to humanitarian efforts, he said, because it helps workers understand what communities need most.
Sabatini thinks the course is the only one of its kind in the country. Although the program is in its infancy, he said coordinators think it will be a popular offering. The course was initially intended for OU students, Sabatini said, but groups from Oklahoma State University, the University of Kansas and the University of Arkansas also have signed up to participate.
As the program progresses, Sabatini said he hopes to see more participation from other universities in the area.
Eventually, he said, he hopes to see other universities around the country develop similar programs to serve their own students.
“We can't meet the needs of every student in the United States,” Sabatini said. “But we can help pioneer a course that other institutions will choose to emulate.”
BY SILAS ALLEN
Published: January 18, 2012
NORMAN — About two years ago, members of the engineering faculty at the University of Oklahoma saw a problem.
Students attending the university's engineering school were graduating and going to work in developing countries. But in many cases, these students didn't have sufficient training to work in those environments, said David Sabatini, a professor in OU's School of Civil Engineering and Environmental Science.
“You hear the stories about students who arrive in-country with the best of intentions, but are not fully prepared,” Sabatini said.
Later this year, the university plans to roll out a program it hopes will help solve that problem. Beginning in May, the school will offer a field methods course designed to help prepare students to work in those developing regions, said Sabatini, the director of OU's Water Technologies for Emerging Regions Center, or WaTER Center, a part of the School of Civil Engineering and Environmental Science.
The problem, he said, has been that students were leaving the university and signing up with the Peace Corps, the U.S. Agency for International Development and other nongovernmental organizations without being properly trained to work in developing countries.
When they are in that environment, those students face challenges that don't exist in the United States. They're often in remote areas and don't have access to the same resources they're used to, he said.
How they'll learn
The course will be held six hours a day during the three-week intersession in May, said Jim Chamberlain, the center's staff researcher, and most of that time will be spent in the field. The students will spend an hour to two hours in a lecture session, he said, with the rest being spent outdoors working on a number of projects.
Students will learn to build aboveground composting latrines, drill wells by hand and test for contaminants in a stream. They'll also build bio-sand filters, a type of water filtration system that uses a layer of bacteria to remove contaminants from water.
Because many of the students who participate will go on to do work related to water security and sanitation, it's especially important for them to have a sound background in water testing, as well as construction skills.
“A lot of these kids have never hammered nails before,” he said. “They've certainly never poured concrete or worked with block.”
The students also will learn to write and conduct community health surveys, Chamberlain said.
Those surveys help workers in developing areas get an idea of how people live in the area — where they get their water, for instance, and how to wash dishes. Collecting that information is critical to humanitarian efforts, he said, because it helps workers understand what communities need most.
Sabatini thinks the course is the only one of its kind in the country. Although the program is in its infancy, he said coordinators think it will be a popular offering. The course was initially intended for OU students, Sabatini said, but groups from Oklahoma State University, the University of Kansas and the University of Arkansas also have signed up to participate.
As the program progresses, Sabatini said he hopes to see more participation from other universities in the area.
Eventually, he said, he hopes to see other universities around the country develop similar programs to serve their own students.
“We can't meet the needs of every student in the United States,” Sabatini said. “But we can help pioneer a course that other institutions will choose to emulate.”
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Job prospects for recent Oklahoma college grads vary by major, study says
Architecture and arts degrees topped the list of recent graduate jobless rates in a Georgetown University study released last week. Oklahoma higher education officials say many of those trends are reflected across the state.
BY SILAS ALLEN, sallen@opubco.com Oklahoman
January 10, 2012
Although a bachelor's degree is still a good hedge against unemployment, job prospects for recent college graduates vary drastically by major, according to a recent study.
The study, “Hard Times, College Majors, Unemployment and Earnings: Not All College Degrees Are Created Equal,” was conducted by Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce. It was released Wednesday.
The jobless rate for recent college graduates with bachelor's degrees stands at about 8.9 percent, the report states. Although the report characterizes that figure as “unacceptable,” recent graduates still fared better than job seekers with only a high school diploma, who saw an unemployment rate of 22.9 percent. High school dropouts saw an “almost unthinkable” 31.5 percent rate, according to the study.
Even within recent college graduates, the statistics vary widely.
In general, the study suggests, majors that are linked closely to occupations tend to have better employment prospects after graduation. Electrical engineering majors, for example, had a 7.3 percent unemployment rate, while the rate for philosophy and religious studies majors was 10.8 percent.
But that trend doesn't hold true across the board. Unemployment tended to be higher for majors in fields with low demand. Architecture majors, for example, saw the highest unemployment rate with 13.9 percent. Recent graduates with information systems degrees had an unemployment rate of 11.7 percent.
More experienced workers, who are defined as workers ages 30 to 54 years old, tended to fare better in most fields. More experienced information systems workers had an unemployment rate of just 5.4 percent. Because of that trend, the report predicts computer-related majors will bounce back as the recovery progresses.
A temporary trend
Many of those trends are reflected in Oklahoma's colleges and universities, in particular the drop in demand for architecture majors.
“We have experienced that same thing here,” said Bette Scott, director of Career Services at the University of Oklahoma.
Nationwide, construction has slowed since the onset of the recession, and Scott said that's led to a drop in demand for architects. That trend also affects recent graduates in other fields, such as interior design and construction science, she said.
Still, Scott said, that issue isn't a detriment to OU's College of Architecture. The slowdown in hiring is a temporary trend, she said.
“All majors have their hiring ups and downs,” she said.
Pam Ehlers, Oklahoma State University's director of career services, disputed some of the study's findings, particularly in the information technology sector. Ehlers' office handles graduates from all of the university's campuses, including OSU Institute of Technology in Okmulgee.
“Information technology students are in high demand,” she said.
Conventional wisdom has long held that graduates with degrees in liberal arts fields like philosophy and history will have a harder time finding employment than those with more technical degrees. That holds true at OSU, she said, where students with degrees in fields like accounting and engineering seem to be faring fairly well.
Weathering the storm
In general, Ehlers said, Oklahoma seems to have weathered the recession better than many other states. As older workers retire, she said, companies recruit younger workers to take their place, keeping unemployment from skyrocketing.
That being said, Oklahoma hasn't been completely spared the effects of the recession. In 2007, before the economic downturn took hold, recruitment of recent graduates was at “crazy levels,” she said.
Ehlers said she doesn't expect Oklahoma will see those levels again anytime soon. But recruiting appears to be picking up, she said. The university holds its spring semester career fair in February, Ehlers said. During last year's fair, 94 employers came to campus to meet with students, she said. As of this week, 113 employers have signed up for this year's career fair.
That increase in recruiting has also existed at OU, Scott said, and has largely been driven by the oil and natural gas industry. Those companies typically come to campus looking for engineering majors, she said, but they also need to hire other employees, like accountants and human resources representatives.
While the recovery is still far from complete, Scott said she thinks Oklahoma is beginning to shake off the effects of the recession.
“I think we're coming out of it,” she said. “We don't expect it's going to turn around overnight.”
BY SILAS ALLEN, sallen@opubco.com Oklahoman
January 10, 2012
Although a bachelor's degree is still a good hedge against unemployment, job prospects for recent college graduates vary drastically by major, according to a recent study.
The study, “Hard Times, College Majors, Unemployment and Earnings: Not All College Degrees Are Created Equal,” was conducted by Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce. It was released Wednesday.
The jobless rate for recent college graduates with bachelor's degrees stands at about 8.9 percent, the report states. Although the report characterizes that figure as “unacceptable,” recent graduates still fared better than job seekers with only a high school diploma, who saw an unemployment rate of 22.9 percent. High school dropouts saw an “almost unthinkable” 31.5 percent rate, according to the study.
Even within recent college graduates, the statistics vary widely.
In general, the study suggests, majors that are linked closely to occupations tend to have better employment prospects after graduation. Electrical engineering majors, for example, had a 7.3 percent unemployment rate, while the rate for philosophy and religious studies majors was 10.8 percent.
But that trend doesn't hold true across the board. Unemployment tended to be higher for majors in fields with low demand. Architecture majors, for example, saw the highest unemployment rate with 13.9 percent. Recent graduates with information systems degrees had an unemployment rate of 11.7 percent.
More experienced workers, who are defined as workers ages 30 to 54 years old, tended to fare better in most fields. More experienced information systems workers had an unemployment rate of just 5.4 percent. Because of that trend, the report predicts computer-related majors will bounce back as the recovery progresses.
A temporary trend
Many of those trends are reflected in Oklahoma's colleges and universities, in particular the drop in demand for architecture majors.
“We have experienced that same thing here,” said Bette Scott, director of Career Services at the University of Oklahoma.
Nationwide, construction has slowed since the onset of the recession, and Scott said that's led to a drop in demand for architects. That trend also affects recent graduates in other fields, such as interior design and construction science, she said.
Still, Scott said, that issue isn't a detriment to OU's College of Architecture. The slowdown in hiring is a temporary trend, she said.
“All majors have their hiring ups and downs,” she said.
Pam Ehlers, Oklahoma State University's director of career services, disputed some of the study's findings, particularly in the information technology sector. Ehlers' office handles graduates from all of the university's campuses, including OSU Institute of Technology in Okmulgee.
“Information technology students are in high demand,” she said.
Conventional wisdom has long held that graduates with degrees in liberal arts fields like philosophy and history will have a harder time finding employment than those with more technical degrees. That holds true at OSU, she said, where students with degrees in fields like accounting and engineering seem to be faring fairly well.
Weathering the storm
In general, Ehlers said, Oklahoma seems to have weathered the recession better than many other states. As older workers retire, she said, companies recruit younger workers to take their place, keeping unemployment from skyrocketing.
That being said, Oklahoma hasn't been completely spared the effects of the recession. In 2007, before the economic downturn took hold, recruitment of recent graduates was at “crazy levels,” she said.
Ehlers said she doesn't expect Oklahoma will see those levels again anytime soon. But recruiting appears to be picking up, she said. The university holds its spring semester career fair in February, Ehlers said. During last year's fair, 94 employers came to campus to meet with students, she said. As of this week, 113 employers have signed up for this year's career fair.
That increase in recruiting has also existed at OU, Scott said, and has largely been driven by the oil and natural gas industry. Those companies typically come to campus looking for engineering majors, she said, but they also need to hire other employees, like accountants and human resources representatives.
While the recovery is still far from complete, Scott said she thinks Oklahoma is beginning to shake off the effects of the recession.
“I think we're coming out of it,” she said. “We don't expect it's going to turn around overnight.”
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Oklahoma City hires new MAPS chief, David Todd, OU Civil Engineering Alumnus
BY MICHAEL KIMBALL mkimball@opubco.com Oklahoman
Published: December 24, 2011
Oklahoma City has hired David Todd, the owner of a local engineering firm and a former city employee, to be the new leader of its MAPS office and the point man for the MAPS 3 projects.
Todd, who recently sold Todd Engineering Inc., so he can take the new position with the city, replaces Eric Wenger, who was promoted to be the city's Public Works Director in August.
Todd said the opportunity to contribute to public works projects that are designed to end up as signature elements of a growing Oklahoma City was what attracted him to the position.
“I was raised here in Oklahoma City. I really care about what's happening in Oklahoma City, and I want to be a part of it,” Todd said. “It's a really exciting time.”
Todd graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 1987 with a bachelor's degree in civil engineering. He is on the board of directors of the South Oklahoma City Chamber, is a member of several engineering societies and has participated in other local civic groups.
He worked for the city from 1989 to 1994 in the Public Works Department and oversaw the division that inspects, maintains and builds bridges. He did some contractor work for the city while he owned his own firm.
Todd said he hopes his background in civil engineering will be a strength when it comes to many of the MAPS 3 projects.
“MAPS 3, with the exception of the convention center, is very heavily civil-related with the river improvements, the park and those sorts of things,” he said. “I think that's a good fit for me.”
Todd starts his new job Jan. 3. Wenger will work with him to help the transition.
Read more: http://newsok.com/oklahoma-city-hires-new-maps-chief/article/3634521#ixzz1i8TjrkvW
Published: December 24, 2011
Todd, who recently sold Todd Engineering Inc., so he can take the new position with the city, replaces Eric Wenger, who was promoted to be the city's Public Works Director in August.
Todd said the opportunity to contribute to public works projects that are designed to end up as signature elements of a growing Oklahoma City was what attracted him to the position.
“I was raised here in Oklahoma City. I really care about what's happening in Oklahoma City, and I want to be a part of it,” Todd said. “It's a really exciting time.”
Todd graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 1987 with a bachelor's degree in civil engineering. He is on the board of directors of the South Oklahoma City Chamber, is a member of several engineering societies and has participated in other local civic groups.
He worked for the city from 1989 to 1994 in the Public Works Department and oversaw the division that inspects, maintains and builds bridges. He did some contractor work for the city while he owned his own firm.
Todd said he hopes his background in civil engineering will be a strength when it comes to many of the MAPS 3 projects.
“MAPS 3, with the exception of the convention center, is very heavily civil-related with the river improvements, the park and those sorts of things,” he said. “I think that's a good fit for me.”
Todd starts his new job Jan. 3. Wenger will work with him to help the transition.
Read more: http://newsok.com/oklahoma-city-hires-new-maps-chief/article/3634521#ixzz1i8TjrkvW
Brian Morris, OU Mechanical Engineering Alumnus, Named VP of Engineering for Cherokee Nation Industries
CNI announces new leadership
12/21/2011 9:18:43 AM
By STAFF REPORTS
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – Cherokee Nation Industries, the manufacturing and distribution division of Cherokee Nation Businesses, announced the promotions of Brian Morris to vice president of engineering and Don Whittington to vice president of operations for the company’s aerospace and defense division.
Morris, a Cherokee Nation citizen, graduated from Fort Gibson High School and earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Oklahoma in 1995.
Prior to graduation, he worked as an engineering intern at CNI providing manufacturing solutions and cost savings measures. Morris has held the titles of planning manager, operations manager and director of manufacturing while being responsible for the engineering, quality, testing, purchasing, inventory and production departments.
Whittington, also a CN citizen, was born in Ventura, Calif. He is a Marine Corps veteran of 10 years and has more than 20 years experience in retail distribution and logistics management. Whittington has held titles within CNI, including warehouse supervisor, operations manager, general manager and vice president of operations.
Whittington will oversee the Stilwell manufacturing operations and the Pryor distribution facility.
12/21/2011 9:18:43 AM
By STAFF REPORTS
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – Cherokee Nation Industries, the manufacturing and distribution division of Cherokee Nation Businesses, announced the promotions of Brian Morris to vice president of engineering and Don Whittington to vice president of operations for the company’s aerospace and defense division.
Morris, a Cherokee Nation citizen, graduated from Fort Gibson High School and earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Oklahoma in 1995.
Prior to graduation, he worked as an engineering intern at CNI providing manufacturing solutions and cost savings measures. Morris has held the titles of planning manager, operations manager and director of manufacturing while being responsible for the engineering, quality, testing, purchasing, inventory and production departments.
Whittington, also a CN citizen, was born in Ventura, Calif. He is a Marine Corps veteran of 10 years and has more than 20 years experience in retail distribution and logistics management. Whittington has held titles within CNI, including warehouse supervisor, operations manager, general manager and vice president of operations.
Whittington will oversee the Stilwell manufacturing operations and the Pryor distribution facility.
J. Lynn Helms, Previous Head of FAA and OU Engineering Alumnus Dies at 86
By Elaine Woo, Los Angeles Times
December 20, 2011
J. Lynn Helms, the head of the Federal Aviation Administration who carried out President Reagan's order to fire more than 11,000 striking air traffic controllers and oversaw efforts to keep airlines flying during the crisis, has died. He was 86.
He died Dec. 11 of cardiopulmonary failure at his home in Westport, Conn., a family spokesman said.
Helms had a reputation as a decisive, technically brilliant aviation industry executive who led a number of companies out of financial straits, including Piper Aircraft, which he ran for six years. A former test pilot, he was the first FAA chief in a decade capable of designing an airplane that could fly.
Several months into his tenure, in August 1981, more than 12,000 members of the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization, known as PATCO, walked off the job after contract negotiations stalled over the union's call for a reduced workweek and higher pay.
After receiving assurances from Helms that a strike could be managed, Reagan declared the walkout illegal and warned that any workers who did not return to their jobs within 48 hours would be fired. The majority of controllers remained on strike and lost their jobs.
Helms' contingency plan sharply reduced flight schedules and used supervisors, non-striking air controllers and some military controllers to direct the nation's air traffic.
According to Georgetown University labor historian Joseph McCartin, who wrote a book about the strike, Helms was well suited to the challenge of standing up to the air controllers.
"Helms developed a strong dislike for unions as chief executive at Piper," McCartin told The Times last week. "He did not believe that collective bargaining had a place in a government agency such as the FAA. And he was instrumental in convincing President Reagan and other members of the administration that they could break a strike by highly skilled air traffic controllers, even if it took firing and permanently replacing large numbers of them."
PATCO was decertified by the government two months after the strike began. The Reagan administration allowed only a fraction of the striking air controllers to be rehired.
Helms later pushed through Congress the $10-billion, 10-year National Airspace System Plan for modernizing the air traffic control computer network. It was described at the time as the largest civil aviation project ever undertaken by the federal government.
Born on March 1, 1925, in DeQueen, Ark., Helms grew up in Norman, Okla., and earned a degree in aeronautical engineering at the University of Oklahoma. After ROTC training, he joined the Marine Corps as a second lieutenant. He later became a Navy test pilot and was decorated for his service during the Korean War.
He once told an interviewer how a jet he was testing for McDonnell Douglas went out of control at 52,000 feet. He did not panic and by 12,000 feet had figured out what to do.
"You can think your way out of most problems," he said.
In 1956, he embarked on a career in the defense industry as a design engineer. He climbed the ranks at North American Aviation and Bendix before becoming president of the Norden Division of the United Air Craft Corp. in 1970. In 1974, he was named president of Piper Aircraft, rising to chairman in 1978.
A multimillionaire, Helms became the subject of federal investigations into his private business dealings in 1983. That year, the Wall Street Journal reported that two federal grand juries were examining questionable transfers of assets, frequent bankruptcies and defaults on money loaned or guaranteed by government agencies.
Helms resigned his FAA post a few days before Christmas in 1983.
The following year, the government charged that Helms and two associates had violated anti-fraud provisions of the federal securities laws. Helms' case was settled after he signed an order agreeing not to engage in the activities outlined in the charges. He was not required to return any of the several million dollars that investigators said he had diverted to companies he owned or for personal use.
In accepting Helms' resignation from the FAA, Reagan cited his handling of the strike as "your best accomplishment."
Helms is survived by his wife, Lorraine Bisgard Helms; two daughters; a son; three grandchildren; and a brother.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
SME Education Foundation selects Francis Tuttle Technology Center, Oklahoma City, Okla., as one of six in nation for community-based approach to manufacturing education
SME Education Foundation selects Francis Tuttle Technology Center, Oklahoma City, Okla., as one of six in nation for community-based approach to manufacturing education. .
DEARBORN, Mich., OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla., November 22, 2011 — The SME Education Foundation is taking a community-based approach to manufacturing education and creating strong partnerships between exemplary schools, businesses and organizations. Francis Tuttle Technology Center (FTTC), Oklahoma City, Okla., is an acknowledged leader for providing exceptional career and technology education to high school students and adults, as well as customized training for business and industry. It is one of six exemplary schools in the nation selected for the first phase of a new initiative, PRIME (Partnership Response in Manufacturing Education) launched in the fall of 2011.
Other PRIME exemplary schools include: Kettering Fairmont High School, Dayton, Ohio; Walker Career Center, Indianapolis, Ind.; Summit Technology Academy, Lee’s Summit, Mo.; Hawthorne High School of Engineering, Los Angeles, Calif., and Wheeling High School, Wheeling, Ill.
The Francis Tuttle Technology Center was selected based on their exemplary, technology-based manufacturing education curriculum, including a course in Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) developed by Project Lead The Way (PLTW); skilled and dedicated instructors; engaged and active students; strong collaborative and administrative support from the manufacturing community, and having SME member involvement, including SME Oklahoma Student Chapter S143.
“The Francis Tuttle Technology Center has done an extraordinary job in paying attention to the needs of business and industry by using manufacturing disciplines in its delivery of customized training,’ said Bart A. Aslin, chief executive officer, SME Education Foundation. “We need to double our response time in educating young people in advanced manufacturing —following Francis Tuttle’s lead in how they provide “just-in-time” manufacturing education.”
As an exemplary school, the Francis Tuttle Technology Center has been granted $26,000 by the SME Education Foundation which includes $10,000 to update equipment, software and/or professional development, $1,000 to support their involvement in competitions tied to organizations such as SkillsUSA and/or FIRST Robotics; $5,000 toward a Gateway Academy —a technology-based summer day camp, and $10,000 to support scholarships with provided connections.
PRIME builds on the SME Education Foundation’s $5.2 million investment in STEM education which targets three critical issues: transforming manufacturing education, changing public perception of manufacturing, and addressing the shortage of manufacturing and technical talent in the United States.
“We pride ourselves on working closely with our business and education partners and work hard to customize our curriculum and deliver quality trained workers,” says Danny King, assistant director, Francis Tuttle Technology Center. ‘Being selected an exemplary school and having the SME Education Foundation’s endorsement of our commitment to local workforce development, will definitely allow us to accelerate our efforts.”
Reaching young people at an early age is critical to the future of advanced manufacturing. The Gateway Academy will be introduced at the Portland Campus of Francis Tuttle Technology Center in summer 2012. Middle-school students from several different school districts in Oklahoma City and surrounding cities will attend the summer day camp. As they learn about engineering and manufacturing they will use leading-edge technologies for hands-on learning projects including robotics, aeronautics and mechatronics. This experience will prepare students for either the Pre-Engineering Academy at Francis Tuttle which offers PLTW’s pre-engineering curriculum or the Advanced Manufacturing/Instrumentation Program that leads to immediate employment in high skill/high wage jobs.
The Pre-Engineering Academy is a college preparatory program that prepares students for success in collegiate engineering pathways. A fully realized STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) curriculum allows students to complete mathematics courses through Advanced Placement (AP) Calculus BC and science courses that include Advanced Placement Chemistry and calculus-based (AP) Physics. Project Lead The Way engineering classes are taught as well. These classes allow for the integration of academics and add the very important component of relevance to advanced math and science.
The Advanced Manufacturing Career Training Programs at Francis Tuttle are specifically designed to deliver the knowledge and skills necessary for students to go directly from classroom and labs to a career. Equipment and facilities reflect the workplace, and curriculum is developed with advisory committee input from employers and business owners in each respective industry.
The Manufacturing Career Training Programs, led by highly qualified instructors, offer courses in Advanced Manufacturing, Computer-Aided Drafting and Design, Precision Machining/Computer Numerical Controlled (CNC) Machining and Welding.
Designed in cooperation with industry partners, these programs allow students to work on a state-of-the-art 3-D printer; and for rapid prototyping, HAAS CNC lathes and mills, CNC Plasma Cutter, CNC training stations, robotic work stations, and more. The facility provides students interested in engineering, architecture and manufacturing with hands-on design experience and a competitive edge for work or degree programs.
A major strength of the PRIME initiative is the connection it creates between schools, local manufacturers, the Society of Manufacturing Engineers and local SME Chapters. The PRIME initiative helps students by providing access to www.CareerMe.org. Introduced in 2009 by the SME Education Foundation, in partnership with the National Center for Manufacturing Education (NCME), the website encourages and provides young people in grades 11-14 with information they need on advanced manufacturing careers, regional and local access to companies, industry professionals, technologies and colleges and universities.
The involvement of SME Oklahoma Student Chapter S143 with the Francis Tuttle Technology Center has provided several opportunities for students including plant tours, mentoring and job shadowing.
Shivakumar Raman, PhD, University of Oklahoma and Faculty Advisor to SME Student Chapter S143, says, “It is very exciting that the local technology centers for whom I have been a very strong supporter, have been receiving such prestigious grants and contracts. The new PRIME program will improve the quality of manufacturing professionals who will be instrumental in job creation and revenue generation in our state. Our own partnership with Moore-Norman Technology Center for the past 15 years has helped fortify the “hands-on” contextual education of our sophomores and juniors in Engineering at OU. It is expected that the FTTC program will provide us another avenue in creating partnerships towards advanced manufacturing education. These educational partnerships, in very good measure, will lead to a revitalization of manufacturing in the U.S.”
Dr. Raman, a David Ross Boyd Professor; John A. Myers Professor in Engineering; Fellow, SME; Fellow ASME; and Fellow IIE, is also director of Shape Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing (SEAM) at the University of Oklahoma, and a manufacturing educator for 25 years.
About Francis Tuttle Technology Center:
Francis Tuttle Technology Center, established in 1979, is named in honor of the founder of the Oklahoma CareerTech system, the late Dr. Francis Tuttle. The Center encompasses six public school districts serving 11,780 students who may attend Francis Tuttle tuition-free while in high school. Adult students are served by Adult & Career Development, Business and Industry Services, and daytime and evening Career Training Programs. The Center works closely with business and education partners with specific focus on workforce needs of the marketplace with the delivery of on-time, just-in-time, customized training. Visit www.francistuttle.edu
About Community Partnerships:
Francis Tuttle fosters mutually beneficial partnerships with many educational, business and community organizations to determine the best long-term strategies to meet current and future demands. Some of these include: Program advisory committees (approximately 700 members representing various industries), Center for Municipal Excellence; Central Oklahoma Workforce Investment Board, Edmond Downtown Community Center; Edmond Economic Development Authority; Oklahoma Blood Institute; Oklahoma Energy Resources Board; The Oklahoma Academy; The Oklahoma City Community Foundation; Oklahoma Department of Commerce, and Workforce Oklahoma.
Among the higher education partners who work closely with Francis Tuttle are: Oklahoma City Community College, Oklahoma State University (Oklahoma City and Okmulgee); The University of Central Oklahoma, The University of Oklahoma – College of Engineering; Oklahoma State University – College of Engineering, and Oklahoma Christian University – College of Engineering.
Several local Chambers of Commerce working with Francis Tuttle include: Deer Creek Chamber of Commerce, Edmond Chamber of Commerce, Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce; Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; Northwest Chamber of Commerce; South Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce, and the State Chamber of Commerce.
About the SME Education Foundation:
The SME Education Foundation is committed to inspiring, supporting and preparing the next generation of manufacturing engineers and technologists in the advancement of manufacturing education. Created by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers in 1979, the SME Education Foundation has provided more than $31 million since 1980 in grants, scholarships and awards through its partnerships with corporations, organizations, foundations, and individual donors. Visit the SME Education Foundation at www.smeef.org. Also visit our award-winning website for young people at www.ManufacturingisCool.com, and for information on advanced manufacturing careers, visit www.CareerMe.org
Media Contacts:
SME Education Foundation, 313.425-3300, foundation@sme.org
DEARBORN, Mich., OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla., November 22, 2011 — The SME Education Foundation is taking a community-based approach to manufacturing education and creating strong partnerships between exemplary schools, businesses and organizations. Francis Tuttle Technology Center (FTTC), Oklahoma City, Okla., is an acknowledged leader for providing exceptional career and technology education to high school students and adults, as well as customized training for business and industry. It is one of six exemplary schools in the nation selected for the first phase of a new initiative, PRIME (Partnership Response in Manufacturing Education) launched in the fall of 2011.
Other PRIME exemplary schools include: Kettering Fairmont High School, Dayton, Ohio; Walker Career Center, Indianapolis, Ind.; Summit Technology Academy, Lee’s Summit, Mo.; Hawthorne High School of Engineering, Los Angeles, Calif., and Wheeling High School, Wheeling, Ill.
The Francis Tuttle Technology Center was selected based on their exemplary, technology-based manufacturing education curriculum, including a course in Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) developed by Project Lead The Way (PLTW); skilled and dedicated instructors; engaged and active students; strong collaborative and administrative support from the manufacturing community, and having SME member involvement, including SME Oklahoma Student Chapter S143.
“The Francis Tuttle Technology Center has done an extraordinary job in paying attention to the needs of business and industry by using manufacturing disciplines in its delivery of customized training,’ said Bart A. Aslin, chief executive officer, SME Education Foundation. “We need to double our response time in educating young people in advanced manufacturing —following Francis Tuttle’s lead in how they provide “just-in-time” manufacturing education.”
As an exemplary school, the Francis Tuttle Technology Center has been granted $26,000 by the SME Education Foundation which includes $10,000 to update equipment, software and/or professional development, $1,000 to support their involvement in competitions tied to organizations such as SkillsUSA and/or FIRST Robotics; $5,000 toward a Gateway Academy —a technology-based summer day camp, and $10,000 to support scholarships with provided connections.
PRIME builds on the SME Education Foundation’s $5.2 million investment in STEM education which targets three critical issues: transforming manufacturing education, changing public perception of manufacturing, and addressing the shortage of manufacturing and technical talent in the United States.
“We pride ourselves on working closely with our business and education partners and work hard to customize our curriculum and deliver quality trained workers,” says Danny King, assistant director, Francis Tuttle Technology Center. ‘Being selected an exemplary school and having the SME Education Foundation’s endorsement of our commitment to local workforce development, will definitely allow us to accelerate our efforts.”
Reaching young people at an early age is critical to the future of advanced manufacturing. The Gateway Academy will be introduced at the Portland Campus of Francis Tuttle Technology Center in summer 2012. Middle-school students from several different school districts in Oklahoma City and surrounding cities will attend the summer day camp. As they learn about engineering and manufacturing they will use leading-edge technologies for hands-on learning projects including robotics, aeronautics and mechatronics. This experience will prepare students for either the Pre-Engineering Academy at Francis Tuttle which offers PLTW’s pre-engineering curriculum or the Advanced Manufacturing/Instrumentation Program that leads to immediate employment in high skill/high wage jobs.
The Pre-Engineering Academy is a college preparatory program that prepares students for success in collegiate engineering pathways. A fully realized STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) curriculum allows students to complete mathematics courses through Advanced Placement (AP) Calculus BC and science courses that include Advanced Placement Chemistry and calculus-based (AP) Physics. Project Lead The Way engineering classes are taught as well. These classes allow for the integration of academics and add the very important component of relevance to advanced math and science.
The Advanced Manufacturing Career Training Programs at Francis Tuttle are specifically designed to deliver the knowledge and skills necessary for students to go directly from classroom and labs to a career. Equipment and facilities reflect the workplace, and curriculum is developed with advisory committee input from employers and business owners in each respective industry.
The Manufacturing Career Training Programs, led by highly qualified instructors, offer courses in Advanced Manufacturing, Computer-Aided Drafting and Design, Precision Machining/Computer Numerical Controlled (CNC) Machining and Welding.
Designed in cooperation with industry partners, these programs allow students to work on a state-of-the-art 3-D printer; and for rapid prototyping, HAAS CNC lathes and mills, CNC Plasma Cutter, CNC training stations, robotic work stations, and more. The facility provides students interested in engineering, architecture and manufacturing with hands-on design experience and a competitive edge for work or degree programs.
A major strength of the PRIME initiative is the connection it creates between schools, local manufacturers, the Society of Manufacturing Engineers and local SME Chapters. The PRIME initiative helps students by providing access to www.CareerMe.org. Introduced in 2009 by the SME Education Foundation, in partnership with the National Center for Manufacturing Education (NCME), the website encourages and provides young people in grades 11-14 with information they need on advanced manufacturing careers, regional and local access to companies, industry professionals, technologies and colleges and universities.
The involvement of SME Oklahoma Student Chapter S143 with the Francis Tuttle Technology Center has provided several opportunities for students including plant tours, mentoring and job shadowing.
Shivakumar Raman, PhD, University of Oklahoma and Faculty Advisor to SME Student Chapter S143, says, “It is very exciting that the local technology centers for whom I have been a very strong supporter, have been receiving such prestigious grants and contracts. The new PRIME program will improve the quality of manufacturing professionals who will be instrumental in job creation and revenue generation in our state. Our own partnership with Moore-Norman Technology Center for the past 15 years has helped fortify the “hands-on” contextual education of our sophomores and juniors in Engineering at OU. It is expected that the FTTC program will provide us another avenue in creating partnerships towards advanced manufacturing education. These educational partnerships, in very good measure, will lead to a revitalization of manufacturing in the U.S.”
Dr. Raman, a David Ross Boyd Professor; John A. Myers Professor in Engineering; Fellow, SME; Fellow ASME; and Fellow IIE, is also director of Shape Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing (SEAM) at the University of Oklahoma, and a manufacturing educator for 25 years.
About Francis Tuttle Technology Center:
Francis Tuttle Technology Center, established in 1979, is named in honor of the founder of the Oklahoma CareerTech system, the late Dr. Francis Tuttle. The Center encompasses six public school districts serving 11,780 students who may attend Francis Tuttle tuition-free while in high school. Adult students are served by Adult & Career Development, Business and Industry Services, and daytime and evening Career Training Programs. The Center works closely with business and education partners with specific focus on workforce needs of the marketplace with the delivery of on-time, just-in-time, customized training. Visit www.francistuttle.edu
About Community Partnerships:
Francis Tuttle fosters mutually beneficial partnerships with many educational, business and community organizations to determine the best long-term strategies to meet current and future demands. Some of these include: Program advisory committees (approximately 700 members representing various industries), Center for Municipal Excellence; Central Oklahoma Workforce Investment Board, Edmond Downtown Community Center; Edmond Economic Development Authority; Oklahoma Blood Institute; Oklahoma Energy Resources Board; The Oklahoma Academy; The Oklahoma City Community Foundation; Oklahoma Department of Commerce, and Workforce Oklahoma.
Among the higher education partners who work closely with Francis Tuttle are: Oklahoma City Community College, Oklahoma State University (Oklahoma City and Okmulgee); The University of Central Oklahoma, The University of Oklahoma – College of Engineering; Oklahoma State University – College of Engineering, and Oklahoma Christian University – College of Engineering.
Several local Chambers of Commerce working with Francis Tuttle include: Deer Creek Chamber of Commerce, Edmond Chamber of Commerce, Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce; Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; Northwest Chamber of Commerce; South Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce, and the State Chamber of Commerce.
About the SME Education Foundation:
The SME Education Foundation is committed to inspiring, supporting and preparing the next generation of manufacturing engineers and technologists in the advancement of manufacturing education. Created by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers in 1979, the SME Education Foundation has provided more than $31 million since 1980 in grants, scholarships and awards through its partnerships with corporations, organizations, foundations, and individual donors. Visit the SME Education Foundation at www.smeef.org. Also visit our award-winning website for young people at www.ManufacturingisCool.com, and for information on advanced manufacturing careers, visit www.CareerMe.org
Media Contacts:
SME Education Foundation, 313.425-3300, foundation@sme.org
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