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From NAHB Student Chapter President to Speaker at an International Tradeshow

Participating in student competitions can land you a first-place prize. But for Construction Engineering Management senior Chantal Contreras, it landed her in China.

Contreras took over as president of the CSULB chapter of National Association of Home Builders in the spring of 2017, and set to work trying to boost membership and raise funds for events and travel to competitions. “It was really hard to get things started up,” she said.

The chapter managed to send Contreras and five other students to Orlando to attend the International Builders Show, the largest light construction building industry tradeshow in the United States. Continue reading “From NAHB Student Chapter President to Speaker at an International Tradeshow”

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Engineering Distinguished Lecture Panel on the New Face of Engineering in 2030

Will artificial intelligence put people out of jobs? Is the idea of working for one company your entire career obsolete? Will the engineering field include previously underrepresented groups? And how important are so-called soft skills?

These are some of the questions tackled by the industry panel at Thursday’s Engineering Distinguished Lecture, which was timed to coincide with CSULB’s Imagine BEACH 2030 crowdsourcing campaign to examine the future. Continue reading “Engineering Distinguished Lecture Panel on the New Face of Engineering in 2030”

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SCE VP Jill Anderson Urges Girls to Study Engineering, Help Solve World Problems

Jill Anderson, vice president of Customer Programs and Services at Southern California Edison (SCE), remembers the moment she decided to pursue engineering. She’d enrolled in a summer math and science camp in high school with the thought of raising her SAT scores. “At 16 years old, I didn’t have any idea what I wanted to do,” she recalled.

They were given a box of rubber bands, some pencils, wheels, and a mousetrap, and asked to build a racecar. After understanding that the spring in the mousetrap could be used to power the car, it was all over for Anderson.  “I was hooked,” she told the 170 high school girls at Friday’s Women Engineers at the Beach event. “I decided I’m going to be an engineer.” Continue reading “SCE VP Jill Anderson Urges Girls to Study Engineering, Help Solve World Problems”

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Career Development Center Offers Last-minute Prep for Fall Engineering Job Fair

Attending a job fair requires strategy and preparation. That’s why Jina Flores was on hand Tuesday to help steer engineering students through the process one day ahead of the Fall Engineering & Technology Career Fair in the University Student Union.

“There are huge crowds and lots of employers,” said Flores, lead career counselor at the CSULB Career Development Center. “Practice your pitch. There’s only a very small percentage of students who can wing it.” Continue reading “Career Development Center Offers Last-minute Prep for Fall Engineering Job Fair”

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Innovation Challenge Begins Ninth Year

If you have an idea to start a business, consider entering the CSULB Innovation Challenge. The contest provides support and mentoring as interdisciplinary teams go through the process of creating a business plan, with an eye on winning up to $50,000 in cash and services to turn that idea into a reality.

The Innovation Challenge was introduced by the College of Engineering nine years ago, and now incorporates the College of the Arts, College of Business Administration and Center for the Institute for Innovation & Entrepreneurship. Continue reading “Innovation Challenge Begins Ninth Year”

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College Welcomes Incoming Freshmen

student rocket clubFor incoming freshmen, there’s a long list of things to fret about: getting used to a new campus, adapting to living on their own, navigating a confusing system, or passing prerequisites.

To help alleviate some of those normal pre-semester worries, about 250 pre-engineering students living in on-campus housing had a chance Monday to hear from a successful alumnus, get familiar with support services, and tour engineering labs.

Tracy Maples, associate dean of academic programs, said about one-quarter of incoming freshmen want to be engineers. Although popular, the major is also demanding.

Continue reading “College Welcomes Incoming Freshmen”

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Lamberson Scholarship Recipient is First-Generation College Student

Savanna Arguijo grew up in a construction industry family in California’s Central Valley. The summer after finishing high school, she helped her father on a condo remodel that involved demolition and reconstruction of the entire unit—and also changed her life.

That project made her want to follow in her father’s footsteps. Although she wouldn’t be the first family member to work in construction, she would go on to become the first in her family to attend college. Continue reading “Lamberson Scholarship Recipient is First-Generation College Student”

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MAE Department Celebrates Graduates’ Accomplishments

Hope Daley and professors Daniel Whisler and Jalal Torabzadeh

CSULB Mechanical and Aerospace students on Monday gathered with faculty and advisers for a celebration before their graduation. “This is a milestone,” said MAE Chair Jalal Torabzadeh. “It was not easy for some of you. The road was rough, but you have shown you can overcome challenges.”

Said Hilal, CEO of Applied Medical, who received the Distinguished Alumni Award, advised graduates to search for a sense of belonging and purpose. “You’re about to go onto the next chapter. But corporations may be thinking of you as the workforce, not the think force or the innovate force.” Continue reading “MAE Department Celebrates Graduates’ Accomplishments”

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Chemical Engineering Celebrates with a Chest Pound and a Fist Bump

ChE award winners

Outgoing Chemical Engineering Chair Larry Jang gave a final chest-pound fist bump to graduates Monday as the department celebrated the accomplishments of its students and supporters.

“Everyone deserves an award,” said Jang, who is retiring but plans to still teach some classes. “If you think you deserve an award, let me know.”

One of Monday’s award winners was Distinguished Alumni John Crouch, a retired VP and Underwriting Manager for the Starr Companies. “I’m so excited to see so many people pursuing this field,” said Crouch, a 1978 CSULB graduate. “Keep in touch with the people around you and you’ll be very successful.” Continue reading “Chemical Engineering Celebrates with a Chest Pound and a Fist Bump”

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Turbine and Suspension Systems Take Top Awards at Engineering Expo

A locomotive suspension system for harsh environments was chosen as the most innovative and practical design and a turbine in-pipe system as the best design for sustainable and clean energy harvesting at the Engineering Innovation Expo Monday.

The showcase in the University Student Union included 22 Senior Design Projects from the CSULB Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Department.

The pico hydroelectric turbine-in-pipe system uses excess pressure within residential-scale pipe systems to harvest electricity off-the-grid. The system consists of a reaction turbine, generator, and auxiliary electrical equipment. The electrical equipment is dependent upon the application which can include powering outdoor lights or charging small electronics. Additionally, the design of the system will keep the flow rate and pressure of the water entering the household in compliance with standards for potable water systems.

Team members include Cristina Azuara, Hope Daley, Elyssa Lawrence, and Daisy Zaragoza. Continue reading “Turbine and Suspension Systems Take Top Awards at Engineering Expo”