CHATTANOOGA ENGINEERS
CLUB
www.ChattanoogaEngineersClub.org
P.O.
Box 4031, Chattanooga, TN 37405
NEXT MEETING August 21, 2006 “Advanced Boiling Water Reactor” Bill Grimme, GE Infrastructure, Energy
The Advanced Boiling Water Reactor (ABWR) already has an impressive track record. In Japan, four ABWR units are in operation; another three units are under construction in Taiwan and Japan, and nine more units are planned in Japan. It is feasible that an ABWR plant could be built in the United States and be commercially operational by 2012.
Location: The Tallan Cellar, basement of Regions Bank/Krystal building at 200 West Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd Chattanooga, TN 37402
Parking: Parking is available on the 10th street side of the building, or you may park at the Days Inn Hotel across Carter Street (leave a dashboard note saying “Chatta. Engrs. Club”).
Lunch will be available for $11 beginning at 11:30 am and will be buffet style including a salad, barbeque chicken, spinach souffle, fried potatoes and onions, a roll and banana pudding.
Invocation & Pledge Jim Couch
BUSINESS
The Bylaws Committee proposed changes to the Chattanooga Engineers Club Constitution and Bylaws. The Executive Committee reviewed those changes and with minor revisions agreed with their proposal. The proposed changes were summarized at the July 31 and Aug. 7 meetings and posted on the www.ChattanoogaEngineersClub.org website. The club will vote on these changes at the Aug. 28 meeting.
Any member interested in helping to plan a December dinner meeting for the Chattanooga Engineers Club should call Judy Driggans at 751-7616.
Any member interested in helping to create the weekly meeting announcements should call Judy Driggans at 751-7616.
FUTURE MEETINGS
Aug 28 – Jonathan G. Overly, Executive Director of the East Tennessee Clean Fuels Coalition
Sept 4 – No Meeting
Sept 11 – “How We can Help Local Schools” Dr. Jim Scales, Superintendent of Hamilton County Schools
Sept 18 – “MiniBaja Team – A UTC Senior Engineering Design Report” Dr. Ron Goulet
Sept 25 – “Can Blogging Help Your Business?” Bhushan Karle, US Xpress
OTHER EVENTS OF INTEREST TO ENGINEERS
The next meeting of the E-Week Committee will be held on Thursday, August 24 at t he Cellar Restaurant from noon to 1:00. For more information, contact Tiffany Gibby at 751-3168 or tjgibby@tva.gov. Lunch will be $10 for the buffet.
PREVIOUS MEETING
August 14, 2006 “Engineers and Local Education – expanding our skills at passing on knowledge”
Chattanooga Regional Science Fair – an individual competition
The 54th Annual Chattanooga Regional Science & Engineering Fair was held at Harrison Racquet Center, UTC Campus, last March. The Fair, sponsored by our club and the Hamilton County Medical Association is one of the longest consecutive running fairs in the country. ( www.chattanoogasciencefair.org ) The fair is run in cooperation with the University of Tennesse at Chattanooga, and is held during the college’s spring break each year. Jack Wagner is President of the Board and Chairman of the Operating Committee which oversees the fair. Ginny Reese (UTC) is the Executive Director of the fair replacing Martha Davis who held the position for 50 years. The fair is open to 6th through 12th grade students. The high school students present their exhibits to judges in their category’s field during the morning’s competition, and to a mixed panel of judges in the afternoon competition (sweepstakes). The two winners of the afternoon competition are sent to the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) to compete in their competition. Our fair is an affiliate of the ISEF.
First Lego League – a team competition
Ed Chapin described the First Lego League program as it has evolved over the last five years. He then demonstrated the new version of the Lego Robot, known as NXT. This year’s theme, “Nano Quest,” deals with nano-technology (very small things). As in the past, the competition starts formally on September 15 and culminates with the statewide challenge at Cookeville in early December. Our annual budget is about $1500, of which about one third comes from the scholarship fund and the balance from local sponsor firms.
E-Week and Scholarships
Tiffany Gibby chairs the Chattanooga Engineers Club Education Committee. She discussed the committee’s goals of building strategic partnerships with UTC in support of Project Lead the Way, TVA’s Partners in Education Program, and the homeschool community. The Club supports the E-Week festivities and regularly provides scholarships to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and Chattanooga State Technical Community College. Volunteers will be needed to support E-Week events and anyone interested in any of the education-related activities can contact Tiffany Gibby at 751-3168 or tjgibby@tva.gov. The club’s Education Committee met Aug. 17 for lunch at the Cellar Restaurant to discuss how we can participate in Project Lead the Way (www.pltw.org).
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 Organization mailing list at http://mail.chattanooga.net/mailman/listinfo/chatech. Professional Development units are available for most technical programs.