On Thursday, August 12, 2010, Raytheon Expeditionary Warfare Center and Rick Engineering Company hosted more than 50 student leaders and industry professionals for the 2010-2011 San Diego Region Joint Planning Conference for Engineering and Science Student Chapters.

The purpose of the annual event was to provide a forum for the leaders of various student and professional organizations.

Representing the 53rd district of California, Congresswoman Susan Davis presented advice for current college students, updated attendees on project’s she and her staff are currently working on in support of education in light of the current California and nation economy, shared thoughts about where the future of high education lies in regard to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields, the status of state and federal aid in the educational field, and lastly, touched upon the value of engaging in community service.

Teams consisting of MESA students at San Diego State University (SDSU), San Diego City College (SDCC), Southwestern Community College (SWC), Morse High School, Imperial Valley High School, and William Moreno Jr. High School competed against each other in exams that spanned Calculus, Physics, Chemistry, and some Engineering material.

Each campus was also allowed up to 3 teams who would program a LEGO MindStorm NXT robotics kit to compete in 2 missions. The first mission required speed and intelligence to maneuver from a home area through a slalom course. The second mission was a combination control and head-to-head event where robots raced to collect the most LEGO pieces and return them back to their home base under a constrained area and time limit.

The 3rd Annual Team SPAWAR MESA Training Academy took place at the SPAWAR Old Town facility in San Diego, California, on Friday, March 19, 2010, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

The purpose of the training academy was to expose a diverse group of college level engineering, math, and science students to the world of Civil Service employment and the skills needed to succeed in the workplace as an acquisition professional or engineer.

SPAWAR facilitated discussions and training regarding Employment Programs and Benefits, The New Professional Program, Life as a New Professional, and Director of Organizational Development and Training Management, Dr. Douglas Fenner, presented Leadership/Workforce Development: A Global Literacy Perspective. Dr. Fenner also recommended several readings to increase students’ self-leadership skills.

Northrop Grumman representatives Desiree Galenti and Beilee Tracey facilitated a presentation on ‘Interviewing for a Job’ on Monday, March 15, 2010 at San Diego State University Career Services from 1:00 – 4:00 pm.

Representatives from Infrastructure Engineering Corporation, Northrop Grumman, and San Diego Gas & Electric/Sempra Energy also hosted appointments for one-on-one mock interviews (at 30 minutes), and resume critiques/cover letter critiques (at 30 minutes).

MESA students at San Diego City College and Southwestern Community College, MESA Engineering Program and Maximizing Science Potential students at San Diego State University can apply for a summer team internship starting NOW!

Through the San Diego MESA Alliance, college students will have a unique experience to witness the “real world” of work in an engineering or scientific environment. Your involvement will provide a great opportunity for our up and coming students to “test the waters” in a field of their interest and see first-hand how classroom skills relate to the workplace.

What better way to do that, than observe and work with a professional in action! You the employer, get to make a positive impact on the lives of students; future engineers and scientists!

More information can be found at http://www.engineering.sdsu.edu/mep/ShadowDay.htm

The Caterpillar Latino Connection (CLC), Solar Chapter affinity group hosted a “Shadow Day” event on Friday, October 23.

This event was organized to provide engineering students with an opportunity to experience a typical workday at Solar Turbines and learn about the various technical/engineering disciplines available. This was an all day event held simultaneously at the two Solar facilities in San Diego (Harbor Drive and Kearny Mesa), where each student participated in two different shadow sessions with a different mentor from a different discipline.

Teams of MESA & SPSD students design “buoyancy shoes”, and student “shoe pilots” race across the length of the pool. Competition allows students to gain experience at applying applying the engineering design process; solving open-ended problems.

This unique conference is expected to enhance the professional development of tomorrow’s leaders. The purpose of the conference was to improve chapter effectiveness, improve communication between stakeholders – students, industry and MESA staff, and promote leadership development. The conference addressed chapter basics, joint planning, community college-university-industry relationships, ethics, and leadership training. See the conference agenda for specific sessions.

With the goal of engaging potential leaders in professional development activities, PBS&J recently granted a $5,000 contribution to the Math, Engineering and Science Achievement (MESA) Alliance in support of MESA’s annual leadership summit. Funding was provided through The PBSJ Foundation, Inc.