Professional Development Resources

Below is a list of recent Convention professional development sessions with summary, speaker information, and materials.

Jason A. Abellada (FL Alpha '04) — Intro to Body Language Presentation Slides Engineers tend to focus more on verbal & written communications, yet approximately 60-80 percent of communication is nonverbal. This session covers the basics of body language and explains how we can use this knowledge to develop our professional and personal communication skills. Jason has 10+ years of experience in water/ wastewater control systems engineering and information technology. He is Tampa Bay Alumni Chapter president and a member of the National Association of Parliamentarians.
Jason A. Abellada (FL Alpha '04) — Robert's Rules Presentation Slides \| Motions Handout \| Handout 2 Who the heck is Robert and what are his Rules all about? This session is for anyone who has never used or has little experience with Robert's Rules of Order. If you want to learn more about how to effectively participate in the meetings of Convention, this is for you!

Scott M. Busch (CO Beta '09) — Big Issues Discussion How to Instructions As Tau Bates, part of our mission is to give back to society, and having a technical background gives us a slightly different perspective on various issues. Join with other TBP members for an interactive discussion of some of the Big Issues facing our world today. Scott completed his bachelor's & master's degrees in computer science from the Univ. of Colorado Boulder. He works for Brocade Communications Systems as a senior embedded software developer. He is an advisor to CO Beta, a participant in the Front Range Alumni Chapter, & frequently attends the District 12 Conferences.

Ian J. Frank (NY Pi '09) — Chapter Fun for Any Budget Presentation Summary Now that you are a chapter officer, do you find yourself wondering what to do next? You know there is more to Tau Beta Pi than initiations and membership, but are you having trouble making it happen? You don't need a lot of funding to make a great chapter project or event. Tau Beta Pi should be a lot of fun, and you can make it happen in your chapter, no matter what your budget is! Ian is a mechanical systems engineer at 3D Systems Corp. and has served as a District 14 Director for 5+ years.

Tricia E. Gomulinski (SD Alpha '98) — Connecting Your Community Presentation Slides A shared purpose and the feeling of belonging contribute to the health and activity of a chapter. In this session, discover ways to strengthen and grow your chapter through reaching out, communicating, and drawing others in. Tricia served as a District 12 Director for 12 years in Colorado and was appointed TBP Director of Alumni Affairs in 2013, where she supports and works with our 40 active alumni chapters. She is currently a software engineer at Teledyne Brown Engineering.

Christina M. Harrison (TN Alpha 1993) — Move Up the Ladder Presentation Sides This session will help you understand what it takes to get promoted and generate ideas about how to manage your career. Skills to leverage your performance, image, and exposure to climb the corporate ladder.

Harry Lange (MI Zeta 1975) — Managing Your Investments for Retirement Presentation Sides Retirement may be 40 or 50 years away, but investing as soon as you start your career is critical. Learn tips from Harry's years of investing experience to help prepare yourself for a successful retirement as you move through the various stages of your career.

Bruce Lindvall — Should I Go to Graduate School? Presentation Slides After taking the GRE, learn the best ways to get into your top graduate schools from Bruce Lindvall, Assistant Dean for Graduate Studies, McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Northwestern University. Why go to graduate school and what is involved in the process? When I finish my undergraduate degree, Should I go to work or continue in M.S. or Ph.D. studies? Learn more from Dr. Lindvall, the 2016 DuPont Minorities in Engineering Award recipient.
Bruce Lindvall, Ph.D. — Using ASEE Profiles to Apply for Graduate Admissions Presentation Slides The American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) offers profiles of the graduate study body at each accredited engineering school in the United States. You can learn about how many make-up each graduate student body—gender, full-time and part-time, ethnicity, and total number of M.S. or Ph.D. students by individual major.

Russ Pierce (WA Alpha '70) — Lead, Follow, or Get Out of the Way! Presentation Slides Are you a leader or a follower? To be an effective chapter officer and a successful engineer, you must be an effective leader. In this interactive session, we will explore the following: what leadership is; whether leaders are born or made; the differences between leadership and management; and the three principal leadership styles. Russ owns a consulting business, is a 20+ year Engineering Futures Facilitator, and chapter advisor.

Sally J. Steadman, Ph.D. (WY Alpha '69) — Graduate Fellowships Presentation Slides Sally is Tau Beta Pi Director of Fellowships and 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!