CHATTANOOGA ENGINEERS CLUB
www.ChattanoogaEngineersClub.org

NEXT WEEK____________________________________________
Monday, June 9

Design of the Trade Center Renovations -Combining Energy Efficiency with Ambiance - Ray Boaz - Derthick, Henley & Wilkerson

It isn’t easy to design a place to conduct meetings and exhibits when the audience in any given day can range from 20 to 20,000 people – and to do so in a way that keeps the audience comfortable and surrounded in palatial ambience. But that is exactly what the engineering firm Derthick, Henley & Wilkerson has done in their design and renovation of the Chattanooga Convention and Trade Center.  Ray Boaz will describe their design strategies and tell us how they were able to combine functionality with energy efficiency.  He says that the Convention Center incorporates renewable resources and serves as an educational tool by demonstrating solutions to environmental problems associated with the construction of such facilities.

The Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system of the Convention Center is responsive to varying occupancy levels.  It efficiently controls temperatures and fresh air in each exhibit area and in the atrium.  In addition to occupants, lighting can be another big source of internal heat gain for the HVAC system to overcome.  The Convention Center has sky-lit atriums as well as skylights in the new exhibit halls.  Ray will explain the design of the day-lighting system including how the shields deflect sunlight during summer months when the added heat is unwanted.  Also, special sensors monitor the brightness of direct and diffused sunlight entering the building and adjust indoor lights to accommodate for the changes. 

Invocation Chairperson for June:  Jack Wagner

Menu:  Salisbury steak, Tossed salad, Creamed Potatoes, Fried Green Tomatoes, Peach Cobbler

OUR PREVIOUS MEETING_________________________________
Special thanks to Catherine Burnett for this summary

“The New Economy Institute” by Dr. Gregory Sedrick

The New Economy is here now.  It has significant implications for workforce development and training.  The old economy was based upon attracting new businesses with cheap and readily available land, utilities, transportation and labor.

These factors are still important but industry is demanding a workforce that has mastered the latest technology and is entrepreneurially inclined to leverage this technology into competitive advantages.

Employers tell us this workforce does not currently exist in the Tennessee Valley.  Couple this shortage with the soon to retire scientists, engineers, and technicians in our Federal Labs and you have the compelling reasons for the New Economy Institute and the Workforce Aging Management Program Initiative (WAMP).

The Initiative and Institutes’ mission is to ensure that there is a readily available technical and entrepreneurially inclined workforce for the Federal Labs and the private sector.

The Institute is applying the latest streaming video technology acquired and further developed by Chattanooga State’s Distributed Education.  This technology will ease the distance and time roadblocks presently keeping this Initiative from success.

Rather than duplicate curriculum and programs at each educational institution, we will integrate and deliver existing curriculum of the Universities, Colleges and Technology Centers located in the Tennessee Valley.  The WAMP Initiative has targeted the federal laboratories located in Roanoke Virginia, through East Tennessee and into North Alabama as far as Decatur.

First the curriculum targets mid career engineers, scientists and technicians with technical project management training so they might be prepared to replace retiring senior staff.  Next the Initiative will create and/or sponsor activities in the middle schools, high schools and first two years of higher education to encourage and attract new students into the technology career fields.  Thirdly the Institute will encourage the existing workforce to shift into technically-based career fields.  The fourth effort will be a special Intern program established throughout the Valley at the high school and first year post high school level.  These interns will assist in developing activities and recruiting “more of their own” into the engineering scientific and technician career fields.  Lastly a mentor program made of retired or soon to retire engineers, scientists and technicians will be formed to pass on their experiences and knowledge to the next generation.

FUTURE MONDAY MEETINGS_____________________________________

June 16: Presentation of a Winning Science Fair Project  - Daniel Gruwell, recent graduate of Baylor High School and winner of the ASM International Foundation Award for the best exhibit at the regional science fair in materials engineering

June 23: Valuable Lessons Learned in Environmental Management - Warren Behlau, Tennessee Valley Authority

June 30: Tour of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Training Facility - Jan Griffin

July 7: The Next Generation Orbiting Space Telescope - NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center

July 14: Supercomputers - Their Design and Application at ORNL- Thomas Zacharia, Director of ORNL's Computational Science Laboratory

July 21: To be confirmed

July 28: Garbage! How much more of this can we take? - Damon Riggs, Project. Manager, Solid Waste, ARCADIS

In August: Internet II - Awesome Speed and Immense Possibilities - Dr. Clint Smullen, UTC

WHERE WE MEET_______________________________________
Unless we note otherwise, all of our presentation meetings are held at the Cellar Restaurant in the Tallan Building, Union Square, Downtown Chattanooga from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. Out meeting room and luncheon service are open by 11:30 a.m. Lunch buffet is $10.00 per person (inclusive). No reservation is required. Free parking is available in the Days Inn Motel (on Carter Street and MLK Blvd.) courtesy of the Days Inn management. When you park there, be sure to place a note on your dashboard indicating you are attending the Engineers Club meeting.

QUESTIONS, SUGGESTIONS? ______________________________
If you have any questions or suggestions about program items please call Judy Driggans at 423-751-7616 or email her at jdriggans@comcast.net. You can find references to other Chattanooga Engineers Club members at our web site: www.ChattanoogaEngineersClub.org.  Brad Baucom will return as program chairperson very soon.