2019 Conv Professional Development

2019 TBP Convention Professional Development Presenters

Thursday and Friday's presenters of professional development sessions are listed below with title of their session, session summary, and short bio. The professional development schedule can be found here.

Rev. Rich Andre (NY Kappa '96) — Making Friends & Being Happy Once most young adults receive their undergraduate degrees, they immediately encounter a myriad of new challenges. How do I manage my schedule? How do I tend to my physical, mental, and spiritual health? Rev. Andre is a former optical engineer (and Engineering Futures Facilitator) who is now a Catholic priest. He has ministered to students at several large state universities. One of his specialties is helping people in their 20s negotiate the first two years of "adulting" after completing their degrees. Join him for a casual, wide-ranging conversation on some of the insights he's picked up in his careerda.

Joey Alexander (CA Upsilon '06) — How to Target Your Resume Joseph has a B.S. in computer engineering from the University of California, Davis. He has held a variety of IT related roles over a 13+ year career and is currently the IT Director for a K-12 education agency in Sacramento, CA. Joseph has also been a TBP chapter secretary and serves as the Sacramento Valley Alumni Chapter president. In this session, he will cover some general resume tips and tricks and how to target your resume to a specific job description. Additionally, attendees will have an opportunity to have their resumes reviewed by a panel of alumni volunteers.

Katy Colbry, Ph.D. (MI Alpha '99) — Teaming Up: Effective Groups and Meetings Katy is the Assistant Dean for graduate student services in the COE and Chief Advisor to the Michigan Alpha Chapter at Michigan State University. She will present this pilot session, with the assistance of Nancy Gray, in an effort to update the TBP Engineering Futures curriculum. This session will be offered as part of Engineering Futures expansion in the fall.

Ed D'Avignon (NY Beta '88) — What the Career Office Didn't Tell You Ed will discuss what he looks for when screening resumes and interviewing candidates as a team leader and principal engineer with Broadcom Ltd. He will give tips on how to avoid your resume being quickly rejected, what he looks for in a resume and during both phone and in person interviews. Many of the highlighted areas are not typically discussed by university career offices. Ed is TBP Director of Rituals and past Association vice president (1998-2002).

Meg Handley, Ph.D. — Communicating Leadership Meg is associate director for engineering leadership outreach at Penn State. Her Ph.D., in workforce education, focused on interpersonal behaviors and their impact on engineering leadership potential. Meg is a board-certified coach with experience in developing studentsâ€™ leadership and professional competencies. She is most interested in developing knowledge of leadership to impact successful transition to the workplace. In this interactive session, learn what employers are seeking through initial communications at recruiting events. Then develop a 30 second pitch that promotes both technical and non-technical skills relevant for careers in engineering.

Christina M. Harrison (TN Alpha '93) — Interview Like a Pro & Move Up the Ladder This session will help you understand what it takes to get promoted and generate ideas about how to manage your career. She will discuss skills to leverage your performance, image, and exposure to climb the corporate ladder. Christina works for Procter & Gamble in category management, is a TBP District 11 Director, and former Engineering Futures Facilitator.

*Teresa Hutton (WI Beta '91)* — This is BIG! (thinking) Unlock your potential by getting comfortable with thinking BIG! Find out what you need in order to be able to explore all of your potential. We'll discuss getting into the thinking BIG mindset as well as how to execute on your BIG thoughts and goals. You’ve got more potential than you can imagine, and with a few tips and practices, you will add BIG value to our world. Teresa is a member of the Milwaukee Alumni Chapter. She currently works at Johnson Controls and publishes a weekly blog for engineers looking to explore their full potential at Q2Leader.com.

*Jan Keiser, P.E., J.D. (AK Alpha '76)* — How to Find a Job with Meaning Wondering what you will do when you graduate? In this workshop, learn how to develop effective strategies for finding your purpose and finding a job that lives up to it. This workshop will help you target what that means and strategize how to get there. This is a Engineering Futures session as well. Jan is a civil engineer & a construction attorney with 30+ years of experience with large projects. She has worked for public sector agencies, private companies, and founded her own firm. Jan is a registered professional civil engineer and a construction attorney with over 30 years of experience with large, complex infrastructure projects.
*Jan Keiser, P.E., J.D. (AK Alpha '76)* — Networking Through Conversation Professional development depends on networking; that is, developing relationships that can be leveraged in to future opportunities. But, there's a skill to doing this authentically so the relationships are mutually beneficial. Savvy professionals engage people in simple conversations and effective follow-up. But, how do you start a conversation that is interesting, enjoyable, and productive? How do you turn the conversation into an opportunity? In this session, Jan, an experienced engineering entrepreneur, will provide tips and techniques about starting conversations and conducting follow-up. Jan is a registered professional civil engineer and a construction attorney with over 30 years of experience with large, complex infrastructure projects.

Amy C. Kurr (IA Alpha '18) — Enhance & Advance Your Career w/Physical Activity While exercise is highly beneficial, physical activity is what lays the mental, emotional, and physical groundwork to help people achieve their professional and personal goals. This session will cover how to take advantage of the similarities between participation in physical activity and engineering. Whether you want to become more aware of what physical activity is or start a new routine after a major life change, this session will inspire you to take the next step! TBP Laureate Kurr founded the Ladies in Fitness Training organization.

Bruce Lindvall, Ph.D. — Preparing & Deciding When to Go to Grad School Dr. Lindvall is assistant dean for graduate studies, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Northwestern University. Having a graduate degree in your future can be very important for many reasons. Deciding when to go to graduate school can be a very difficult decision. The options include staying in school after completing the BS degree, working full-time and going to school part-time, or working for a few years and going back to school full-time. We will also look at the ASEE Profiles to learn about the size and demographics of all engineering graduate programs. Come prepared to ask questions and interact with the speaker? Learn more from Dr. Lindvall, the 2016 DuPont Minorities in Engineering Award recipient.

Stephanie Opalinski — Communicating the Value of YOU Opalinski is senior manager of graduate engineering program recruitment & energy educational programs at the University of Pittsuburgh. Learn how to have more confidence in your power of speech – this presentation will cover tips and tricks to public speaking specifically related to STEM anchored presentations. Workshop breakouts will be included to encourage students to practice 'impromptu' speeches.

Wayne Paugh, LL.M., J.D., (CA Iota '96) — Meet the Executive Council Nominees Submit questions and meet the six Executive Council nominees. TBP President Paugh will moderate. Read about the mominees here.

Kurt Rouser, Ph.D. (OH Eta '11) — Jet Engine Crash Course Have you ever wanted to learn how a jet engine operates? Dr. Rouser will discuss practical fundamentals about jet engine design and operation from his perspective that spans the life cycle of a jet engine from intelligence analysis and requirements development, to lab research, test and evaluation, and maintenance engineering. He retired from the U.S. Air Force active duty in 2016 after an engineering career focused on jet engines and is now a teacher at Oklahoma State University in practical aeronautics, conducting research on Pratt & Whitney projects.

Thomas Schaub (NY Nu '93) — Engineering a Career in Cybersecurity Tom earned an M.S. in engineering from MIT. He has spent the majority of his career working in cybersecurity, including roles as information security consultant, administrator, engineer, manager, director, and – most recently – vice president, chief information security officer. Tom will draw upon his professional experience and insights and present cybersecurity as a viable field for graduates of engineering degree programs who may be considering non-traditional career pursuits. He serves as a TBP District 8 Director.

Sally J. Steadman, Ph.D. (WY Alpha '69) — Graduate Fellowships Sally is Tau Beta Pi Director of Fellowships and adjunct professor at the University of South Alabama. Learn about graduate fellowships and how to get them. Get tips on completing applications from Dr. Steadman who has experience reviewing applications for NSF, NDSEG, TBP, and more. Bring your questions!

George Youssef (NJ Gamma '01) — How to Climb the Corporate Ladder George graduated cum laude from the New Jersey Institute of Technology with a B.S. in electrical engineering and was a former TBP chapter president. He started working at General Electric in 2002, and has held five different roles within GE Power. He began as a global field engineer installing new power plants and maintaining existing ones while serving in more than 10 countries and 20 U.S. states. He then moved to managing field engineers' resources globally, followed by a one-year assignment to Dubai, UAE, to build a training center. After that, he spent 7 years working as a service manager supporting fossil/nuclear customers in the NYC Metro area. Currently, George is the service director for boiler services for the Western U.S. located in Irvine, CA. He is a TBP Executive Councillor.