To: Civil Engineering Students

From: Bob Mullen

RE: Welcome back

First, I would like to welcome you all back from summer break. I hope that your summer was productive and enjoyable. Over the summer, a few changes in the department occurred. Annette Messina (Department Business Manager) has moved her office to the second floor of Bingham – Room 210A. Prof. Klika (Construction Management) has moved his office to Bingham 105B. Amy Schwenkel has been promoted to a full-time department secretary. Prof. Gardner has accepted a new position at the University of New Hampshire starting this fall. Join me in wishing Kevin the best of luck in his new position.

Five new computers have been ordered for the Neff Computer Lab (Room 233). We continue to struggle with heating and air-conditioning in the eastern wing of the building. As a temporary solution, window units will be installed (maybe by the end of summer). New windows in the Bingham building are under design and should be installed next summer. The department received 50,000-lb. axial MTS machines with a large hydraulic pump. This will complement our 200,000 lb axial machine. We have also been working on a new Structures and Materials Laboratory and classroom. The design should be completed by the end of the summer. Prof. Gasparini has the current working drawings. This expansion will compliment the environmental laboratories that were developed over the last six years and provide the department with world-class research and educational facilities. We hope to have the project completed by the fall of 2000. If you have any suggestions for the improvement and repair of the Bingham building, let me know.

We are planning to hire three new faculty members this year: an assistant professor in environmental engineering, an assistant professor in the area of geotechnical engineering, and a professor in the area of structural engineering. As part of our interviewing process, all of the faculty candidates will give a presentation. I strongly encourage all of you to attend these seminars and give me feedback on your impression of the potential faculty members. I will also set up a time during each candidate’s visit, to meet with our students.

I would like to encourage all of you to become student members of the American Society of Civil Engineering. See either Prof. Panoskaltsis or me for an application.

There are a number of scholarships and awards that we have been very competitive at when students apply. I will send e-mails though the ASCE student chapter as I receive the application material. A list of National Scholarships and Fellowships is available from the ASCE student chapter. In addition, CWRU is a member of the Global Engineering Education Exchange which allows students to study at leading foreign engineering schools as part of their CWRU degree program. A list of participating Universities is on the ASCE bulletin board.

For students that plan to continue past the BS degree, the University has an integrated BS/MS program. This program allows up to 9 hours of credit to be counted towards both the BS and MS degrees. You must apply to this program before completing the last two semesters of your BS degree (in your junior year).

Students interested in the CO-OP program should contact Prof. Saada to plan your schedule

I have changed the procedure that we use to assign advisors to Civil Engineering students to allow the advisor to be in your area of concentration (Structural, Environmental, Geotechnical, Construction Management, and Mechanics). Kathleen Ballou has the list of advisor assignments.

1. Please e-mail me and let me know your area of concentration (rlm@po.cwru.edu).
2. If Prof. Gardner is your advisor, see me in order that a new advisor can be selected.

Finally, we will have a department picnic at Squire Valleevue Farm on Sunday September 19, 1999. You all are invited. Sign up in Room 208 or e-mail kad4 so we can insure enough food for all!