Alumni Connections: College of Engineering & Applied Science,
March 2011

Greetings from the College of Engineering & Applied Science.

Now that the Spring semester is half over we are happy to report that all is well. With spring break just around the corner we ask you to join us in reflection over the first half of the semester.

Student credit hours (SCH) are up 19%, EAS is making partnerships worldwide and our undergraduate engineering program ranked seventh in the nation among public engineering schools offering bachelor’s and master’s degrees in the 2011 edition US News and World Report, "America’s Best Colleges."

Please make a note our Annual EAS Awards Ceremony is coming up in early May and that you and your families are welcome to attend. Once again, we want to thank you for enduring with us as part of our community, college and commitment to excellence.

Dean
College of Engineering & Applied Science

Global Engineering Ventures

Competing in a Global Economy
The University of Colorado Colorado Springs and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock are nationally recognized for their progressive engineering colleges. Both universities share an action-oriented philosophy focused on economic development for their communities, their states and their country - as well as a hard emphasis on student achievement. Their undergraduate engineering education programs are also ranked among the best in our nation.

Both universities have also recognized the imperative need to serve in an innovative leadership role in helping their communities and states to better compete in the global economy. The College of Engineering & Applied Science (EAS) at UCCS and the College of Engineering and Information Technology (EIT) at UALR have now united their individual strengths through an innovative collaboration called Global Engineering VenturesTM (GeV) – a business-style alliance providing cutting-edge engineering research and co-development with anticipated global economic impact.

Building a Global Network
Both UALR EIT and UCCS EAS have a long history of success in research and co-development from a variety of funding sources. Together, they produced more than $8.7million in funded research during the last Academic Year. The two engineering colleges also have a growing global network of relationships developed by their combined faculty. This global network offers additional opportunities for expanded research, collaboration and co-development, graduate student recruitment and shared funding – all linked to major local economic development initiatives. Keep watch for more GeV updates and projects.

Engineering Advisory Board (EAB) Member of the Month: Dr. Ramaswami Dandapani, Dean, College of Engineering & Applied Science

Dr. Dandapani, received his Bachelor’s degree from Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, India and the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Iowa, Iowa City. He joined EAS faculty in 1986 and has played an active role as a faculty member, chair and now, leader, ever since.

Dr. Dandapani has been a visiting academic at Stanford (California), Illinois (Champaign-Urbana), Iowa (Iowa City), Newcastle (Australia), and RMIT (Australia). Dr. Dandapani has been a consultant to a number of companies including Symbios Logic, Ford Motor Company, Sun Microsystems Inc., Ford Microelectronics Inc., United Technologies Microelectronics Center, and Digital Equipment Corporation.

Dr. Dandapani has presented a number of short courses in his research area under the auspices of Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, American Society of Test Engineers, and Australian Electronics Development Centre. Dr. Dandapani was a member of the IEEE Working group that developed the IEEE 1149.4 Standard for mixed-signal testability bus. His research in testing and testable design of digital and analog circuits, boards, and systems has been vital to its field. With 25+ publications and 5+ awards Dr. Dandapani’s experience and insight has been essential and fundamental for the establishment and continued collaboration of the Engineering Advisory Board.

Join the College of Engineering & Applied Science on Facebook

Join us on Facebook- www.facebook.com/EngineeringandAppliedScience

Check out upcoming events, photos and even help start your graduating class group. Graduated in 2000, 2001 or 2002? Reconnect with your peers.

Engineering Summit Sponsored By Project Lead the Way and Hosted by Sand Creek High School

Dr. Edward Chow attended the Engineering Summit this past Saturday at Sand Creek High School Field House as a face and representative of the College of Engineering & Applied Science. He reports that there was a great turn out, around 200 students/parents attended. SAE Baja club has four students there. IEEE student chapter has two students there demonstrating robotic Legos. Francisco, a CS Graduate student, and one Bachelor of Innovation junior were there for EAS table.  Francisco, CS graduate student, demonstrated the software tool for tracking human motion and the smart rotating chair with wireless sensor for measuring the posture and strengthening the core muscle group for seniors.  To see photos of the event please click here.

Blind UCCS Mechanical Engineering Student Plays Video Games

Check it out click here!
(Here is the link just in case you can’t get it above http://www.coloradoconnection.com/news
/story.aspx?id=589127)

Alumni Advancement Lecture Series to feature President Emeritus John Buechner presenting on The 11th Commandment: Thou Shall Not 'Wing' It

Join the UCCS Alumni and Friends Association on Saturday, April 2 at 9:30 a.m. for the semi-annual Alumni Advancement Lecture Series and Campus Tour.

Our keynote speaker will be President Emeritus of the University of Colorado John Buechner. Dr. Buechner will present on The 11th Commandment: Thou Shall Not 'Wing' It. He will cover a practical approach, with suggestions, for persuading and influencing others, e.g., work committees, public bodies, and groups. He will provide examples of "what not to do" as well as suggestions for helping to effectively develop these all-important skills.

This event also includes a complimentary breakfast buffet for alumni attendees, a campus update from UCCS Chancellor Pam Shockley-Zalabak, and an optional campus tour following the lecture (both shuttle and walking options will be available).

More information will be available as the event date approaches, or contact the Office of Alumni Relations at (719) 255-3180 for details.

Alumni Services at the Small Business Development Center (SBDC)

Are you interested in starting a small business? Or, are you a current entrepreneur interested in business growth and expansion? The Colorado Springs Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is a community resource to assist you at little to no cost. The center is located at UCCS and hosted by the College of Business. The SBDC is partially funded by the Office of Economic Development and International Trade, the City of Colorado Springs and The College of Business at UCCS. These grant funds enable the SBDC to provide one-on-one counseling sessions at no cost to those currently in business, or to those considering entrepreneurship. (More)

In This Issue

Global Engineering Ventures

Engineering Advisory Board (EAB) Member of the Month: Dr. Ramaswami Dandapani

Join the College of Engineering & Applied Science on Facebook

Engineering Summit Sponsored By Project Lead the Way and Hosted by Sand Creek High School

Blind UCCS Mechanical Engineering Student Plays Video Games

Alumni Advancement Lecture Series Scheduled for April 2

Alumni Services at the Small Business Development Center

Quick Links

UCCS Alumni and Friends Association

Update your Contact Information

Alumni Benefits and Services

EAS is ABET Accredited

Excellence in Engineering and Technology

US News and World Report Rankings

Find Us on Facebook

Join Us on LinkedIn

Give to UCCS

Contact Us

Special Events

Looking for a better way to stay connected to upcoming non-alumni events at UCCS? Sign up for the Communique RSS Feed to receive timely updates about news and special events at your alma mater.

March 26:
Roar on the Road: Scottsdale, AZ

April 2:
Alumni Advancement Lecture Series and Campus Tour

April 12:
Café Scientifique

Renewing Your License Plates in March?

Don't forget that you can display your Mountain Lion pride and support your alma mater with a UCCS license plate. Learn more about how to obtain your plate online.

UCCS Alumni in the News

Kent Fortune, '89:
Q&A with Kent Fortune: USAA exec returns to his roots

Attending the 2011 Women's Open?

Special ticket prices are available for UCCS alumni who order before April 1. Learn more.

Astropolitics Short Course

Optimizing the use of space for security, economic, civil, and environmental ends is essential. In this course,
you will integrate knowledge of space policy, strategy, law, economics, and management to better optimize decisions and outcomes for your organization. Learn more.

Alumni LTC

AlumniLTC® is a valuable resource when considering your long term care insurance needs. To request a free informational Long Term Care Planning Kit, visit our plan administrator’s web site.

Not Sure How to Start Your Degree?

Check out the UCCS/PPCC Concurrent Engineering Program.

The Concurrent Program allows every student to get the best of both worlds!

Visit our website for more information.