CHATTANOOGA ENGINEERS CLUB

www.ChattanoogaEngineersClub.org

P.O. Box 4031, Chattanooga, TN  37405

 

NEXT MEETING:  MONDAY, Feb. 27, 2006 (noon to 1:00 pm) -"Critical Issues in Transportation: What are they?  How do they impact us?  What can we do?"  Pat Hu, Oak Ridge National Lab (ORNL).

 

“America’s economy and quality of life depend on a transportation system that functions well.  Transportation connects people to jobs, family, medical care, entertainment, education, and the goods needed for everyday life.” - Transportation Research Board of the National Academies.

 

Americans are the most mobile people in the world.  And, truck and containerized shipments are projected to double by 2025 as the globalization of the economy increases.  Our nation’s transportation system is already being pushed to the limits, and demands on the system continue.  The presentation will outline the critical transportation issues facing the nation in this first decade of the new century and their potential impacts to our society and everyday life.

 

Invocation & Pledge February Chairperson: James Brewer

 

Location: (Cellar Restaurant at 2 Union Square in the basement of the Tallan Building at M.L. King and Carter Street)

 

Menu: A buffet lunch for $11 will be available for attendees beginning at 11:30 a.m. Guests are welcome. Lunch will include a salad, baked chicken, creamed potatoes, green beans, banana pudding, roll and drink.

 

Parking: Free parking is available for attendees at the Days Inn on Carter Street. Leave a notice on the dashboard indicating you are with the Chattanooga Engineers Club. There is also a parking garage behind the Tallan Building.

 

FUTURE MEETINGS (noon at Cellar Restaurant unless another location is indicated)

 

March 6 – "CAD drafting"  Jim Kurtz, Manager of TVA's School to Work Program

TVA School to Work program is design to provide opportunities and training to students while at the same time providing quality services to the program sponsors.  The program supports over 30 High Schools in 12 TN counties and 1 North GA county.  The program employees over 80 students, both high school and college age.  The program has 6 offices across the valley between Chattanooga and Johnson City area.

 

March 13 - "Ham Radio"  Cliff Hudson will speak on the joys of communicating thru the ether, the value of high frequency communication in time of emergency, the history of leading-edge technological development from highly competent amateur radio operators/builders/designers, the beauty, grace, and warmth of hollow state technology; and the harsh, unforgiving, unloving, unimaginative characteristics of solid state components, and why they are doomed to fail us all. Transistors cause cancer and nothing with transistors will work during or after the next nuclear attack. Come have some fun with us - this will be hilarious.

 

March 20 - "Product and Data Lifecycle Management" Mark Corbett, Strategic Account Executive, SofTech Inc. SofTech enables companies to reduce cost and decrease product development and delivery times, while increasing quality of goods and services through configured data management and process automation, commonly referred to as PLM - Product Lifecycle Management. Softech's flagship product is known as ProductCenter, which is  unparallel in managing configured products and complex processes.

 

March 27 - "CITY WATER -- PUBLIC VS PRIVATE OWNERSHIP" - Donald C. Thomas, P.E.

 

ITEMS OF INTEREST TO ENGINEERS

 

Tom Carson, P.E., ACE of the New Economy Institute (NEI) is forming a Chattanooga Acrobat Users Group.  Lori DeFurio of Adobe will be here February 27 to speak on interactive 3-D engineering drawings that can be viewed, manipulated etc with the free Adobe Reader. This will allow engineers to work with the public in 3-D with the free Reader. The first meeting will be February 27 at 5:30 at NEI, 1105 E. 10 th St.  There will be door prizes (Tom's new book is a few of the door prizes) and refreshments. Attendees need to pre-register at www.acrobatusers.com. For more information, contact Tom at 423-643-0110 (office) or 423-580-8115 (cell) or tcarson@neiweb.org

 

CLUB BUSINESS ___________________________________________________________

 

The nominating committee is seeking a candidate for the vacant officer position (2nd VP, Membership). A motion passed Feb. 6, to prepare amendments to the constitution and bylaws to rename the position of 2nd VP, Membership to Membership Chair and remove the position from the line of succession to President. The Membership Chair would remain an annual elected position and a part of the executive committee. The bylaws committee to make the exact wording changes and present them to the club include Ed Chapin (Chair), Brad Baucom, and Lulu Copeland.

 

PREVIOUS MEETING Monday, February 20, 2006. CHATTANOOGA E Week 2006 Kick-off Luncheon, UTC. ”Retaining US Leadership in Engineering Requires Inspiring the Next Generation of Engineers!” Gail Mattson, P.E., former National President of Society of Women Engineers spoke on the looming shortfall of American engineers and scientists, and discussed ways that engineering organizations like ours can help to close the gap in math and science education. Over 2 million engineering jobs will go unfilled in 2010 due to a 20% decline in enrollment. China, S. Korea, India, and Israel have made great strides in recruiting and retaining college graduates and are moving ahead in science capabilities. Women and minorities are needed, but lack role models in technical education. The key role for our club is to become more active in encouraging K-12 students to build science and engineering talents, and encourage educators to promote math and science in schools. Her presentation can be reviewed online at www.chattanoogaengineersclub.org/engineer/eweek/eweek2006.html

 

QUESTIONS, SUGGESTIONS? ___________________________________________________________

If you have any questions or suggestions about program items please contact Stephen Smith at 423-843-1815 or by email at srsmith@coalsmith.com. You can find membership application forms, references to future programs, historical data, and other Chattanooga Engineers Club info at our web site: www.ChattanoogaEngineersClub.org. To receive future meeting announcements by email, join the Cha. Technology Council mailing list at http://mail.chattanooga.net/mailman/listinfo/chatech