April 2009

Welcome to seasnews@columbia.edu, the monthly electronic newsletter for alumni, parents, and friends of Columbia University’s Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science. We hope you enjoy the digest of news, research, and information about the School that is contained below and we invite you tosend us your comments. send us your comments.

REUNION 2009

REUNION REGISTRATION OPENS ON APRIL 3
Reunion Classes of 1959, 1964, 1969, 1974, 1979, 1984, 1989, 1994, 1999, and 2004 and All Golden Lions Celebrate Reunion 2009 from June 4-7
SEAS wants you to join with classmates for a weekend of nostalgia, reminiscing with former classmates and professors, making new memories, and having loads of fun. From Young Alumni Casino Night to the Golden Lions Dinner at the Russian Tea Room, and from Camp Columbia for Kids to interactive adult learning opportunities, SEAS Alumni Reunion Weekend has something for you and your family. Look for an e-mail with a direct link to the Registration page on Friday. You also may register after Friday through the Reunion button on the SEAS home page at www.engineering.columbia.edu.
NEWS

SEAS TV, An Online Video Library, Is Launched
The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science has launched its new video browser. SEAS TV was created to chronicle and share the School's most fascinating research, faculty, and students in an easy-to-use video information channel. Read more.
Boeing's James Albaugh Will Speak at Class Day
Aerospace industry leader James F. Albaugh '74 MS, Executive Vice President of The Boeing Company, will be the keynote speaker for this year's Class Day ceremony. In announcing his selection, Gerald A. Navratil, Interim Dean of SEAS, said, "Mr. Albaugh's accomplishments exemplify the innovation and leadership we encourage in each of our students." Read more.

Vapnik Wins ACM Honor
Vladimir Vapnik, professor of computer science and senior research scientist at SEAS’s Center for Computational Learning Systems, has been awarded the Kanellakis Award by the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) for developing one of the most frequently used algorithms in machine learning, Support Vector Machines (SVM). Read more.
Sustainable Engineering Center Launches
Professor Patricia J. Culligan launched the Education Center for Sustainable Engineering with a boost from Professor Jeffrey D. Sachs, director of the Earth Institute. He applauded the efforts by Culligan and others for starting the center. Read more.
RESEARCH
CAREER Award Supports Surgical Robots
Nabil Simaan, assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, has received a CAREER Award to support developing novel, flexible snake-like robots and parallel robots to aid in minimally invasive surgery. These robots will gauge their force interactions with the patient's anatomy, gather information, and then act on that information. Read more.
SPECIAL EVENTS
National Academy of Engineering Regional Meeting
The National Academy of Engineering will hold its regional meeting at SEAS on Tuesday, April 14, onEngineering for the Body and for the Planet. Van C. Mow, Stanley Dicker Professor of Biomedical Engineering, is the organizing chair. Read more.
Symposium on the Internet
A symposium, The Dark and the Light of the Internet, co-sponsored by the Marconi Society and Columbia University, will be held Thursday, April 16, 2009, from 10:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. at The Italian Academy, 1160 Amsterdam Avenue. The event is chaired by Joseph F. Traub, Edwin Howard Armstrong Professor of Computer Science. Read more.
"HIRE COLUMBIANS" INITIATIVE
Center for Career Education Launches New Program
The Columbia University Center for Career Education (CCE) is pleased to announce ‘Hire Columbians,’ a new initiative designed to facilitate the hiring of Columbians by Columbians. At this difficult economic time, you can make a difference by assisting SEAS students and alumni looking for jobs and internships. Listed below are ways you can get involved.
Join Columbia Career Connections
Make yourself available to current students and alumni for online career networking. You can answer as many or as few inquiries as you like. To register, visit Columbia Career Connections.
Post a Position
If your firm is hiring, ensure that CCE is aware of openings at your organization. Assist other Columbians by posting positions exclusively for Columbia students and alumni on CCE’s job database LionSHARE.
Become a Columbia Champion
Make sure your colleagues know the benefits a Columbian will bring to an organization. CCE can work with you to turn your contacts into potential employers of Columbia students and alumni.
Offer Your Industry Expertise
As CCE looks to find new opportunities, alumni who can speak as authorities within their field are a vital resource. These alumni can work with CCE to share trends within their field, provide industry contacts and help to expand the number of positions available to Columbia students and alumni.
To learn more, contact Patrick Smith, Senior Associate Director of Employer Outreach at CCE, by phone at 212-854 5496 or by e-mail at ps2211@columbia.edu. The School hopes that you are able to join the ‘Hire Columbians’ initiative and help fellow Columbians advance their career goals.
ALUMNI EVENTS
Your Job Search
SEAS is among the sponsors of a panel on How to Use Columbia University as a Resource During Your Job Search. The event is Tuesday, April 7 from 6-10 p.m. at the Columbia Club, 15 West 43rd Street. Read more and make a reservation.
Alumnae Invited To SWE Annual Banquet
The Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Annual Banquet is Saturday, April 11, at 7 p.m. in 555 Lerner Hall, Broadway and 115th Street. Students, faculty, alumnae/i, and SWE professional members are invited to join in the festivities. Business casual or semi-formal attire. Make a reservation. Tickets must be picked up in the Ticket Office in Lerner Hall lobby.
TELE-SEMINAR FOR ALUMNI
TELE-SEMINAR SERIES (access by phone)
Cracking the Code to Enter the Hidden Job Market
Thursday, April 16, 10-11 a.m. (ET)
Speaker: Debra Feldman, Executive Talent Agent, Job Search Expert
Join this tele-seminar with Debra Feldman, the JobWhiz, who will provide advice for those currently in the jobmarket as well as anyone contemplating a career change. Find out how to "network purposefully" to overcome the challenges, barriers, and obstacles that impede job search progress. Develop a successful go-to-market strategy to produce better offers faster; eliminate job-searching woes by avoiding recruiters, headhunters and the classifieds; get long term "career insurance" to put you on the inside track to desirable new leads, and use "Polite Persistent Pings" to secure a position that matches your requirements. Incorporating these methods into managing your career transition will jumpstart your campaign and propel your search towards a swifter landing. Sign up.
YOUNG ALUMNI

First Blue & White Gala Sponsored by CEYA
CEYA, Columbia Engineering Young Alumni, hosted a gala event featuring live music and dancing that honored Interim Dean Gerald Navratil for his support of the organization. The group presented Dean Navratil with the first Le Marteleur Award, created to honor an individual or group of individuals who have contributed significantly to the operation and well-being of Columbia Engineering Young Alumni. See the photos.
MAGILL LECTURE 2009
Bob Bakish '85, '89BUS, president of MTV Networks International, will deliver the Magill Lecture in Science, Technology, and the Arts on Saturday, June 6 at 2 p.m. Mr. Bakish has day-to-day management responsibility for MTVNI, overseeing all MTV Networks operations outside of the U.S. MTVNI includes Music Television, VH1, Nickelodeon, TMF (The Music Factory), VIVA, Paramount Comedy and Game One, and is seen in 560 million households in 171 countries and 28 languages. He will discuss Creativity, Commerce, and Countries--A GLOCAL Model, the use of local resources and cutting edge technology in building a global business model. Registration for this and other Alumni Reunion Weekend events will be available online beginning Friday, April 3.
For Classes of 1959, 1984, 1999, 2004, and 2008
Join with the Class of 2009 as they celebrate their transition from student to alum on Class Day. As a special celebration of your Reunion year, we are inviting you to be a part of the ceremony. As members of the Classes of 1959, 1984, 1999, 2004 and 2008, you are invited to carry your class banner and march in the annual Parade of Classes at Engineering Class Day on Monday, May 18. The Class of 2009 and the School hope that you will participate in this yearly tradition. The ceremony will begin at 9:30AM and will be preceded by a breakfast for SEAS alumni in the John Jay Hall Lounge from 8:00AM to 9:00AM. To RSVP, or for further details, please contact Scott Kelly, Alumni Programs Coordinator, by phone at 212-854-4472 or by e-mail at stk2110@columbia.edu.
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We want to hear from you. Please send your comments or questions to: Margaret Kelly, Associate Director of Communications, at mk321@columbia.edu.