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CBA Offers Business Plan Coaching

Students interested in entrepreneurship—including those who plan to participate in the Innovation Challenge—are invited to attend business-plan coaching sessions put on by the CSULB College of Business Administration.

At 7 p.m. each Tuesday in CBA-139A, a group of MBA alumni called the Founders will hold coaching sessions about business plan writing in particular and starting a business in general. Those who have questions about their innovation, business plan, or how to start a business are invited to attend.

The Founders are comprised of Brian Budzinski, Dean Heiss, JR Jimenez, and Naki Patetefa. Budzinski received his undergraduate degree in aerospace engineering from Purdue University and works as an engineering manager at The Boeing Co. With an undergraduate degree in aeronautical science with a minor in aviation safety from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Heiss works as a senior project manager at Southern California Edison. Jimenez holds an undergraduate degree in psychology from University of California, Irvine and is a marketing and event manager for Entrepreneur Media. Patetefa, who has a CSULB undergraduate degree in finance, real estate, and law, works as a customer support manager at Ultimate Software.

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Innovation Challenge Kicks Off 7th Season

Innovation Challenge snapshotStartups are an important vehicle for U.S. economic growth, accounting for half of all new jobs created. At CSULB, students have a unique opportunity to gain real-world experience in starting a business through the Innovation Challenge, an annual contest that provides the winning entrepreneurial team with $50,000 in cash and services to get started.

Now in its seventh year, the Innovation Challenge is supported by the CSULB Colleges of the Arts, Business Administration, and Engineering, along with industry leaders with varied high-level business experience. The contest is open to all students. Continue reading “Innovation Challenge Kicks Off 7th Season”

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CSULB College of Engineering Makes Strides in Student Diversity

ASEE_Logo_Stacked_RGBThe CSULB College of Engineering has made gains in awarding degrees to underrepresented minorities in the latest rankings from the American Society for Engineering Education.

CSULB ranked 10th among U.S. and Canadian universities for the number of engineering bachelor’s degrees awarded to Hispanic students in 2015, up from 11th in the previous year. CSULB also ranked 19th for the number of engineering bachelor’s degrees awarded to Asian-American students in 2015, an increase over 2014’s 20th–place ranking. Continue reading “CSULB College of Engineering Makes Strides in Student Diversity”

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Attend Wonder Women Tech for Free

wonder women wtech

Wonder Women Tech is offering CSULB engineering students free admission to its conference July 16-17 at the Long Beach Convention Center. A limited number of tickets are available, so use Promo Code CSULB to register at www.wonderwomentech.com before supplies run out.

This year’s conference features three stages, an expo, and many interactive discussions on technology, innovation, STEAM, and diversity and inclusion.

With the theme #WEAREPIONEERS, Wonder Women Tech will explore women and diversity in tech, and the pioneers leading the way for innovation. Thousands of attendees from around the world and over 200 award-winning speakers will engage in conference programming including a Free Career Fair & Exhibition, workshops, and a Learning Center, where hundreds of underrepresented children and adults will learn how to code, build games and much more.

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Chemical Engineering Student Wins Second in Statewide Contest

Quang Lee and Dr. Yu2 headshot

Last summer, while working as an OSRP Research Assistant, chemical engineering undergraduate Quang Ly faced a problem so challenging he almost gave up. But because the problem was so compelling—with potential major applications for fuel-cell batteries—he persevered.

“It was very frustrating. Sometimes I wanted to give up, but then I would take a rest and get back to it the next day,” he said.

After two months of effort, he made a breakthrough—attaching an -OO group, the first step in attaching OO to the graphene. Frequent conversations with his advisor Ted Yu were a big help in understanding the problem. Ly entered his paper, “Quantum Mechanics Simulation of Fe–N–C,” in the CSULB Student Research Competition, placing second. Then, unexpectedly, he became one of 10 CSULB undergraduate and graduate students selected to compete on the systemwide level April 29-30.  Continue reading “Chemical Engineering Student Wins Second in Statewide Contest”

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Commencement Draws Thousands

The College of Engineering on Tuesday kicked off CSULB’s graduation week with a commencement that drew nearly 800 graduates, as well as hundreds of family members and friends.

“This is a very important milestone in the lives of our graduating students,” said Dean Forouzan Golshani, who advised grads to keep learning and help others. “There is so much more that a successful engineer or computer scientist must know. Engineering is all about innovating new ideas,” he said.

CSULB President Jane Close Conoley gave students some good advice: wear sunscreen, watch your blood sugar, vote, be members of juries, support public education, and pick a life partner who makes you a better person. The CSULB President also thanked families for the support, encouragement, and nagging it took to keep their kids on the track to graduation.

“Hold onto hope and be the hardest-working person in the room. And stay connected to the campus and the alumni association,” she added.

Southern California Gas Co. Vice President Hal Snyder, who graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering in 1983, told students they were joining a group of CSULB graduates 300,000 strong. Snyder, the College of Engineering’s 2015 Distinguished Alumni, congratulated his 2016 successor Kenneth Santarelli, director of the Antelope Valley Engineering Program and director of the Antelope Valley Board of Trade.

In keeping with tradition, grads decorated their mortarboards in keeping with their engineering discipline. For civil engineering and construction engineering management grads, it was black hardhats. Electrical engineers decorated theirs with LED lights or made them look like circuit boards. And then there were those that had nothing to do with engineering at all. To view photos from commencement, visit the CSULB Facebook page.

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CECEM Dept Lauds Class of 2016

Civil Engineering and Construction Engineering Management faculty lauded the accomplishments of their graduates at the Department Graduation awards ceremony and reception Monday.

“I know sometimes you wished your journey would continue and you could stay with us,” said CECEM Chair Tesfai Goitom.

“What a happy occasion, and I’m so glad to be here,” said Dean Forouzan Golshani. “I know each one of you has a wonderful story. I’m so glad you managed to maneuver around the obstacles.”

The College of Engineering Department Graduations were intended to give grads a chance to socialize with fellow students and say goodbye to faculty. “We organized this event so you can shake hands with your professors one more time. We salute you now not as students but as professional engineers,” the Dean said.

Alumni Caleb Shen (CE) and Kris Nordbak (CEM) received Distinguished Alumni Awards for their contributions to CECEM. “It’s a privilege to be receiving this,” said Shen, who graduated in December and now works as an engineer for Granite Construction. He credited ASAE with providing many learning opportunities during his time at CSULB. Continue reading “CECEM Dept Lauds Class of 2016”

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EE Honors Its 2016 Grads

The CSULB Electrical Engineering Department on Monday celebrated its 2016 graduates with an awards ceremony and celebration.

EE Chair Anastasios Chassiakos awarded the Distinguished Alumnus Award to BSEE graduate Jose Cartagena, manager of project engineering at Disneyland. “Jose is very accomplished,” said Chassiakos. “He started as an intern at Disneyland and stayed and rose through the ranks.

A member of the CSULB Electrical Engineering Advisory and Development Committee for 15 years, Cartagena was the recipient of Great Minds in STEM’s 2015 Hispanic Engineer National Achievement Awards Corp.’s Luminary Award. He was recognized for his commitment to community service, including volunteering to support the Salvadoran community in Los Angeles, where he encourages youth to get their education in STEM. Continue reading “EE Honors Its 2016 Grads”

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A Big Chest Pound for ChE Grads

Student - Professor celebration

Chemical engineering may be the smallest department in the CSULB College of Engineering, but that wasn’t apparent by the turnout for Monday’s Department Graduation in ECS-105.

Chair Larry Jang compared graduates’ education to a chemical process involving reactors, catalysts, and purification. “Before, you were students. Now you’re an engineer. You’ve become a high-value product,” he said.

“Are you ready to graduate?” Dean Forouzan Golshani asked the audience, to resounding applause. “Are you ready to have them graduate?” he asked the faculty. Continue reading “A Big Chest Pound for ChE Grads”

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CECS Celebrates 2016 Grads

Computer Science and Computer Engineering graduates said goodbye to fellow students and faculty at Monday’s department graduation in ECS-105.

“You did it. You survived the ups and downs of student life. Now you’re ready to join the hottest field on the planet, which is computing,” said Chair Burkhard Englert, in congratulating the graduates.

“We are helping to solve the world’s problems” in established fields and in emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and the Internet of Things, said Englert, adding that “It is a great time to graduate with a degree in computer science or computer engineering.”

Continue reading “CECS Celebrates 2016 Grads”