Blow Molded Specialties Internship

Blow Molded Specialties Internship
535 Prospect Street | Pawtucket, RI 02860 | Tel: (401) 723-3000 | Fax: (401) 723-3104
Contact: Tom Boyd

Blow Molded Specialties is an extrusion blow molding firm based in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Since 1988 BMS has been a leader in custom blow molding for the medical device, healthcare, and food packaging industries and beyond. One of BMS’ fields of expertise is in the development and manufacture of bellows; we manufacture approximately 40, all varying is size, material and specification requirements.

With this being said, the product design team is currently stymied with an engineering problem related to a large cylindrical bellows, and is seeking a student intern to research a solution.
This is an excellent opportunity for a student to gain first-hand experience in researching and identifying a solution to an engineering issue, while working closely with the engineering team and within the framework of a manufacturing environment.

The company manufactures a cylindrical bellows that collapses like an articulating straw. The problem bellows is larger in diameter but is intended to function in the same manner, with controlled articulation. However, the larger bellows does not behave the same way; it collapses, but not completely and it will not stay collapsed as the smaller one does.
The company has studied the plastic itself and finds no difference between the two sizes of bellows, leading to the conclusion that the difference has to do with the geometric configuration of the larger bellows. The company has access to an optical comparator, as well as drawings and CAD files of the two bellows.

A student intern will be asked to analyze the control samples and CAD files, do a sample match of the CAD files and attempt to determine the significant differences between the two items. The ultimate aim, of course, is to identify the solution to manufacturing the larger bellows in a manner that permits controlled articulation and maintains the closed position when desired.

Seminar: Active Hardware Metering for IP Protection and Security

ESCE Seminar Speaker
Professor Farinaz Koushanfar, Rice University
Title: Active Hardware Metering for IP Protection and Security
Date & Location: Friday April 21th 3:00pm-4:00pm at B & H 190

Biography:

Farinaz Koushanfar is an Assistant Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering and Computer Science at Rice University, where she also directs the Texas Instruments DSP Leadership University Program.
Before joining Rice in 2006, she received her Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and her M.A. in Statistics both from the University of California, Berkeley. Her research is focused on developing techniques for synthesis and management of customizable, adaptive, lightweight, and secure embedded systems, adaptive energy delivery, and applications of emerging technologies. Koushanfar is a recipient of an Office of Naval Research (ONR) Young Investigator Program (YIP) Award, a National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award, a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Young Faculty Award, an INTEL Open Collaborative Research (OCR) Fellowship, and a Mobicom Best Paper Award. In 2008, she was named one of MIT Technology Review's young innovators under 35 (TR-35).

Abstract:

I will present novel lightweight hardware-based mechanisms for ensuring security, intellectual property (IP) protection, and trust of integrated circuits (ICs) and systems. The need for the new security methods stems from the proliferation of the fabless semiconductor business model, increase of third-party IP reuse, emergence of personal security devices, and the high overhead of traditional cryptographic protocols for embedded systems. The focus of the talk will be on active hardware metering, a first system of security mechanisms and protocols that enable the design house to gain active post-fabrication control of each produced IC, their properties and terms of use, or by run-time disabling of ICs in case of tamper detection. Active hardware metering is built upon two basic
mechanisms: (i) variability-based uniqueness of each chip, and (ii) alteration of the design structure so that the initial functionality is preserved but integrated with the unique chip properties through functional access points. Thus, not only each IC has a specific signature, but also its functionality requires a unique access code for activation. For anybody without authorization from the design house, each chip would be effectively and uniquely locked. To realize the first mechanism, we use physical unclonable functions (PUFs) that overcome the digital storage vulnerabilities. I discuss our ongoing work in security analysis, safeguarding, implementation, and fabrication of new families of PUFs, and their use in secure system design. For the second mechanism, I show how modification of the functional description is accomplished through modifying the finite state automata. Attacks and countermeasures are discussed.
Experimental evaluations of hardware metering on benchmark designs and proof-of-concept hardware implementation on H.264 demonstrate the low overhead, security, and practicality of the new techniques.

Host: Professor Sherief Reda

FSAE car unveiling on Wed, May 19 at 12 on the BH patio

The Formula SAE team recently returned from Michigan where they competed in the annual May race.  FSAE is a student car design competition organized by the Society of Automotive Engineers.

You are welcome to stop by the Barus and Holley patio to congratulate the team on their hard work on Wednesday, May 19, 2010 from 12 to 2pm.

This year's Formula SAE car team placement was:
Overall 38th
Design: T-15th
Presentation: 46th
Cost: 23rd
Endurance: 35th
Fuel Economy: 2nd
(Note: Did not compete in autocross, accel, and skid pad)
For more info visit:http://www.sae.org/students/fsae2010results.pdf

(Click the photo to the right to see more photos)

EWB Info Session on new water project in Haiti

EWB (Engineers Without Borders) is looking to start on a project focused on improving water quality and access and helping to provide safe water to neighborhoods, hospitals, schools, and orphanages in and around Port-au-Prince, Haiti. We have established a relationship with International Action, a community-based organization with a central office in Washington, D.C that has been working in Haiti for almost 5 years, and they are excited about the prospect of partnering with us. We are currently looking for Brown engineers to get involved in the project which is likely to entail design optimization, protocol development, fund raising efforts, assessment trips, team work and lead to a broadened awareness of how the skills you are learning are relevant and how they can be applied.

If any of the above is of interest to you, please come to a BRIEF meeting to be held this Thursday from 7:00-7:30pm in Barus and Holly 190 about this project. If you can't make it to the meeting, but are interested in the project please email Sharon_Makava@brown.edu asap.

Looking forward to seeing you a the meeting!

Sharon Makava
Chemical Engineering '11

For more information on International Action in Haiti please visit : http://www.haitiwater.org/

Blow Molded Specialties Internship

Blow Molded Specialties is an extrusion blow molding firm based in Pawtucket, Rhode
Island. Since 1988 BMS has been a leader in custom blow molding for the medical
device, healthcare, and food packaging industries and beyond. One of BMS’ fields of
expertise is in the development and manufacture of bellows; we manufacture
approximately 40, all varying is size, material and specification requirements.
With this being said, the product design team is currently stymied with an engineering
problem related to a large cylindrical bellows, and is seeking a student intern to research
a solution.

This is an excellent opportunity for a student to gain first-hand experience in researching
and identifying a solution to an engineering issue, while working closely with the
engineering team and within the framework of a manufacturing environment.

The company manufactures a cylindrical bellows that collapses like an articulating straw.
The problem bellows is larger in diameter but is intended to function in the same manner,
with controlled articulation. However, the larger bellows does not behave the same way;
it collapses, but not completely and it will not stay collapsed as the smaller one does.
The company has studied the plastic itself and finds no difference between the two sizes
of bellows, leading to the conclusion that the difference has to do with the geometric
configuration of the larger bellows.

The company has access to an optical comparator, as well as drawings and CAD files of
the two bellows.
A student intern will be asked to analyze the control samples and CAD files, do a sample
match of the CAD files and attempt to determine the significant differences between the
two items. The ultimate aim, of course, is to identify the solution to manufacturing the
larger bellows in a manner that permits controlled articulation and maintains the closed
position when desired.

Please submit resume and cover letter to Avril Cook at acook@bmsplastics.com. We
look forward to hearing from you. Feel free to contact us with questions.

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Board positions open

Do you want to be part of the largest professional society of electrical engineers in the world?
Do you want to develop strong leadership skills and enhance your resume?
Do you want to meet well-known researchers and professors and/or engineering recruiters?
Do you want to contribute in improving Brown engineering students' learning experience outside of class?

If the answer to at least one of this questions is YES, then you should consider getting involved with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Brown University Student Chapter (or simply Brown IEEE). There are leadership positions (Board positions) open for next year and we strongly encourage you to apply! Our activities include:
-academic and professional lectures/seminars
-special projects and participation in technology competitions
-tours and field trips of technological and research nature
-career & recruiting events in conjunction with engineering companies
-social and networking events
-joint ventures with other groups
-subsidized participation in one regional IEEE Conference per academic year

To apply, please visit http://www.engin.brown.edu/organizations/ieee/forms/. Deadline to apply is May 14th midnight.

The IEEE is the world's largest technical society, bringing members access to the industry's most essential technical information, networking opportunities, career development tools, and many other exclusive benefits.
Brown IEEE is a student group with the mission of providing all undergraduate and graduate students who are interested in Electrical, Electronics and Computer Engineering and related fields with useful resources for their academic, technical and professional development. It was reestablished in 2009 by a group of Brown seniors -all IEEE Student members and electrical engineering majors- who felt the need of a cohesive society which gives students the opportunity to meet and learn from fellow students, faculty members and professionals in technological sectors.

To learn more about Brown IEEE, please visit http://www.engin.brown.edu/organizations/ieee/ or send me an email at petros_perselis@brown.edu

PrimeTest Automation Internships

The positions are full time for the summer. Two positions are to filled
immediately. Applications will be accepted until May 26, 2010

PrimeTest Automation is a small, yet dynamic and highly sophisticated
engineering firm that specializes in supplying factory and production
automation and robotic products and systems for a highly diverse customer
base.

Interns will shadow different members of the engineering team and assist
them with their work load. Tasks can include researching specifications,
assembling products, writing operating and maintenance manuals,
troubleshooting systems, general shop cleanup, construction of shipping
crates, running errands, light machining and drilling. This is a very hands
on opportunity working in a very dynamic business environment.

Applicants must be comfortable working with and around power tools.
Experience with CAD software (SolidWorks) is a plus.

Interested individuals should send their resumes and cover letters via email
to: hr@primetest.com

Information from Dan Press '97

AIChE Alumni Panel-Thursday (5/6) @ 8pm

AIChE hosting an Alumni Panel

This Thursday, May 6 we will be inviting back some chemical engineering alumni to talk about their current career paths and how their Brown degree has played a role in this. Our alums have gone into a wide range of industries, and you'll see that on Thursday. The panel will be at 8pm in B&H 190. Pizza will be provided.

Cartney Smith '06--former chemical engineer at TransForm Pharmaceuticals
Julie Sygiel '09--co-founder and CEO of Eulie LLC (http://sexyperiod.com/)
Kristina Prachanronarong '07--MD/PhD student at UMass
Karen Dannemiller--'09 PhD student at Yale

Rockwell Collins engineering positions in aerospace and defense

Rockwell Collins has a number of engineering job openings available at locations across the country. For more information, visit us at www.rockwellcollins.com/careers. You can also learn more about us in this video: www.rockwellcollins.com/about/building-trust-every-day.html.

For more than 75 years, Rockwell Collins has been a pioneer in the design, production and support of innovative solutions for our customers in aerospace and defense. Our expertise in flight deck avionics, cabin electronics, mission communications, information management, and simulation & training is strengthened by a global service & support network that spans 27 countries. Our global team of 20,000 employees is building trust, every day.

Rockwell Collins was recently named to the Ethisphere Institute’s “2010 World’s Most Ethical Companies” list. The annual list highlights the top 100 organizations leading the way in promoting ethical business standards.

Ethisphere reviewed nominations from more than 3,000 companies in over 100 countries and 36 industries. The methodology for the World’s Most Ethical Companies includes reviewing codes of ethics, litigation and regulatory infraction histories; evaluating the investment in innovation and sustainable business practices; looking at activities designed to improve corporate citizenship; and studying nominations from senior executives, industry peers, suppliers and customers.

Timothy J. Carson
Diversity Program Manager
Office of Diversity
Rockwell Collins
tjcarson@rockwellcollins.com
319.263.1704

Alektrona Corporation internship in Providence area

Alektrona Corporation
95 Hathaway Street, Suite 10
Providence, Rhode Island 02907
401-228-2960 phone
401-228-2961 fax
solutions@alektrona.com

Contact: Jim Higgins, VP
jhiggins@alektrona.com

Intern Opportunity
1. High caliber student pursuing a Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or
Computer Science degree.
2. Demonstrated experience and/or interest working with embedded systems.
3. Has strong programming skills with the ability to learn new tools and languages. C
and Python experience are a plus.
4. Able to produce quality output based on specific written and/or verbal project
requirements.
5. Experience with Linux/Unix, TCP/IP communications, and ZigBee or other low power
wireless sensor networks, hardware design a plus.

Electronics and Photonics Seminar with John Weiner

Division of Engineering
“Electronics and Photonics Seminar”
Extraordinary optical transmission revisited:
how light gets through isolated or periodic arrays of
subwavelength slits and holes (or not)

Prof. John Weiner
Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology (CNST)
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
Gaithersburg, MD USA

Thursday, May 6th
12:45pm in Barus & Holley 751
(pizza and sodas will be offered)

Abstract: The passage of light through apertures much smaller than the
wavelength of the light has proved to be a surprisingly subtle phenomenon.
This talk describes how modern developments in nanofabrication, coherent
light sources and numerical vector field simulations have led to the upending
of early predictions from scalar diffraction theory and classical
electrodynamics. Optical response of real materials to incident coherent
radiation at petahertz frequencies leads to unexpected consequences for
transmission (and extinction) of light through subwavelength aperture arrays.

Biosketch: John Weiner is a CNST Visiting Fellow in the Nanofabrication Research
Group. He is Professeur Èmèrite from the Université Paul Sabatier in Toulouse, France.
John received a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in Chemical Physics. Following
postdoctoral studies and a lectureship at Yale, he joined the faculty at Dartmouth College.
Later, John spent a year as visiting professor at the Laboratoire des Collisions Atomiques
et Moléculaires at Orsay, France, returning to the US to join the faculty at the University
of Maryland, where he investigated atomic collisions at submillikelvin temperatures
achieved by optical cooling techniques. After two decades at Maryland, John returned to
France, where he became interested in light localization by plasmonic structures. At the
CNST, he is working with Henri Lezec on the design, fabrication, and characterization of
nanoscale optical resonator arrays.

Science Center events on May 5th

May 5, 2010 - Science Center Filming, Noon - 9:00 PM: The Science Center is filming a short video to help showcase the sciences at Brown. Get caught on tape by coming to the SC anytime between noon and 9:00 PM. https://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B-fXRAKLWK2INzExOTA5OGEtOGJjOC00YWJhLWEwNjEtNTZlNzFiYzEwOTA5&hl=en
Basic Guidelines to Improve your chances of making it to the final cut: * No hats * No all white shirts * No logos * No stripes

Events during the filming:
Dell'Antonio VS Sello, Noon - 1:00 PM: Pick your passion as the Science Center showcases Professor Dell'Antonio of the Department of Physics and Professor Sello of the Department of Chemistry. Join us for these short talks as Physics and Chemistry collide at the Science Center. Pizza and beverages to be served. http://picasaweb.google.com/Science.Resource.Center/DropBox?authkey=Gv1sRgCImR-N-_28nU7gE#5467035381243099842

Lucy. H. Spelman, DVM: The Canary in the Kitchen: Why Animal Health Matters. Join us for a lecture by veterinarian and visiting Assistant Professor Dr. Lucy Spelman on why animal health matters, followed by a discussion about the many connections between human and animal health. Bring your own examples of the canary in the kitchen! http://picasaweb.google.com/Science.Resource.Center/DropBox?authkey=Gv1sRgCImR-N-_28nU7gE#5467052292985077026

Lucy, a Brown graduate ('85), is currently Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology. She has worked as a zoo veterinarian, zoo director, media consultant, and wildlife veterinarian. She is co-author of a collection of stories written by zoo and wildlife vets about their patients called, "The Rhino with Glue-on Shoes." She has also held one of the most specialized jobs in the animal world, that of gorilla doctor. For nearly three years, Lucy lived in central Africa, trekking up and down the mountains of Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo to provide lifesaving care for the endangered mountain gorilla. As field manager for the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project, she also helped to expand its one-health program. This novel approach to conservation is based on the concept that the health of one species impacts another. Thus the health of the gorillas is intricately tied to the health of the rangers who protect them, the tourists who visit them, the farmers who live near their park-as well as livestock and other animals. Fresh from this experience, she returned to Brown last fall and taught a senior seminar on primate behavior. Her current course, a first-year seminar called, "Animals As Indicators of Human Health," serves as the framework for this lecture. Lucy begins by offering a series of examples that illustrate the many connections between animal and human health. For instance, overheating Teflon cookware will kill a canary; perhaps it's not as safe for people as we think. Ocean warming causes coral to expel it symbiotic algae; unless the temperature returns to normal, the corals bleach and die, and the entire aquatic food chain is disrupted, including the fisheries millions of people rely on for food. Next she invites the audience to share their own examples, as well as discuss solutions. The good news is that if we're willing to invest in the science behind these problems, we can solve them. The bad news is that we're running out of time.

Shift Process Engineer position for Chemical Engineers

The Shift Process Engineer performs all manufacturing tasks required for the safe production of active pharmaceutical ingredients in compliance with FDA, DEA, OSHA Federal, State, and Local regulations. The primary objective of this position is to ensure that all manufacturing operations are conducted in a safe manner with a high regard for all applicable cGMPs and DEA requirements. Working flexibly across a broad range of chemical operations and participation on self-managed work teams is required. Training for and participation on Emergency Response teams is required. Availability for overtime and shift work (including rotating shifts and seven-day operation) is also required.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES:
- Provide technical assistance to chemical technicians in order to troubleshoot and problem solve both process and equipment related problems.
- Achieve cycle time requirements in order to meet the production schedule.
- Attend Process Hazard Analyses (PHAs) for manufacturing operations.
- Prepare and revise production batch records and standard operating procedures (SOPs).
- Provide training to chemical technicians on production batch records and SOPs.
- Work as a team member with the chemical technicians. Perform chemical operations as required.
- Perform the role of DEA coordinator. This requires witnessing all movement of controlled materials.
- Attend all required cGMP, DEA and ESHA training.
- Perform in process analytical testing and performing bench scale chemistry in the laboratory, when applicable. Seek out and identify opportunities for systems and process improvements.

Educational Requirements
BS degree in Chemical Engineering or Chemistry.

Joseph A. Aronne, CPC
Senior Pharmaceutical Recruiter
RJS Associates, Inc.
10 Columbus Boulevard
Hartford, CT 06106
Phone (860) 278-5840
Fax (860) 522-8313
cell (860-604-4711) after 5pm
joe@rjsassociates.com
www.rjsassociates.com

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center is hiring

Are you a senior student about to graduate this summer and thinking about where to start your career? Are you a mid-career professional looking for a more challenging job within your field of expertise? Are you an experienced professional searching to use your wealth of knowledge in a leadership or management role? Well do I have good news for you !!

I am pleased to announce that NASA Goddard Space Flight Center is currently on a hiring spree, looking for talented engineers, scientist and administrative professionals for full-time positions at our locations in Greenbelt, Maryland and Wallops Island, Virginia !!! We have positions open for all levels of experience !!! It doesn’t matter at what stage you are in your career; you can be either a student graduating this summer (Bachelors, Masters or PhD), someone with less that 5 years of work experience, or have decades of professional background within your field... We have openings for everyone :) !!!

NASA is more than astronauts. We are scientists, engineers, computer programmers, personnel specialists, accountants, writers, maintenance workers, and much much more. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center is the home to the nation’s largest organization of combined scientists, engineers and technologists who build spacecraft, instruments and new technology to study the Earth, the Sun, our Solar System, and the Universe. From high school interns to accomplished Nobel Prize winners, each member of the Goddard team plays a vital role in mission success. Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to become part of our family :) ! To learn more about NASA Goddard, please visit our website at http://www.nasa.gov/goddard.

Over the years, NASA has been rated one of the best places to work in the Federal Government, offering excellent benefit programs and competitive salaries. To learn more about pay and benefits at NASA, visit http://nasajobs.nasa.gov/benefits/benefits.htm.

To apply or learn more about our currently open vacancies, please visit the USAJOBS website at http://www.usajobs.gov. Using the search engine, type in “Goddard Space Flight Center” for the complete list of our open vacancies. NOTE: Please read carefully the “Qualifications and Evaluation” section of each job post to determine eligibility.

Our HACE Recruitment and Outreach Subcommittee is committed to help foster a community in which diversity is recognized and embraced; making qualified Hispanics aware of present and future employment opportunities at NASA Goddard. We encourage applicants from underrepresented groups such as minorities, women, and people with disabilities. NOTE: All positions require US Citizenship and the listings close on April 30, 2010.

Please let us know about you by emailing us at hace.gsfc@gmail.com. Attach your resume and let us know about your areas of interest within NASA Goddard and include USAJOBS vacancy #’s you applied to.

Joint Materials/Solid Mechanics Seminar Series with Prof. Gui-Rong Liu

BROWN UNIVERSITY
Joint Materials/Solid Mechanics Seminar Series

“Computational methods for certified solutions, adaptive analysis, real-time computation, and inverse analysis of engineering systems”

Friday, April 30, 2010 4:00-5:00 pm B&H Room 751

Prof. Gui-Rong Liu
Deputy Head of Mechanical Engineering
National University of Singapore

Abstract:

Rationale: Engineering systems become more and more sophisticated. Computer modelling for such systems is a must for optimal design, healthy monitoring, NDE, existing strength assessments, and service life prediction. The necessary requirements for an effective computational method have now become stability, convergence, automation, solution certification, adaptation, and real-time computation.
Theory: This talk introduces first the basic theory for a unified formulation of a wide class of compatible and incompatible methods based on FEM and meshfree settings. Important properties and inequalities for G spaces are proven, leading to the so-called weakened weak (W2) formulation that guarantees stable and convergent solutions. We then present some possible W2 models that meet all these challenges: 1) linear conformability ensuring the stability and convergence; 2) softening effects leading to certified solutions and real-time computational models; 3) insensitivity to the quality of mesh allowing effective uses of triangular/tetrahedral meshes best suited for automatic adaptive analyses.
Applications: A large number of benchmarking examples and practical examples will be presented to examine the theory and various numerical models, including material behavior at various extreme situations, dynamic behavior and interactions of red blood cells, inverse identification of material properties and cracks in engineering structural systems, and integrity assessment of dental implant systems via inverse analysis with real-time computation.

IBM semiconductor facility in Essex Junction, Vermont hiring supplemental manufacturing employees

I did want to pass this on for any engineering students at Brown who may be looking for summer work experience. The IBM semiconductor facility in Essex Junction Vermont where I work is looking to hire supplemental manufacturing employees. It may be of some interest to anyone interested in getting some experience in the industry. I personally did this for 2 summers while attending Brown and did help me land my first job after graduation. I know we usually hire local college students to help during the summer vacation season. Students would need to find summer housing, but Burlington is a college town and there are generally many summer sublet opportunities.

Any official openings would be posted at www.ibm.com. The possible summer only positions would be listed as production operators (search with keyword Essex and job area Manufacturing). There are a couple of official co-op/intern positions open in our division as well as some entry level positions listed in our division.

I'd be happy to talk to interested students, although I will say up front that my influence on helping them successfully get hired is likely extremely limited.

You can have them contact me via email (shelden@alumni.brown.edu).

Andrew Shelden '94
Sc B Material Engineering

Brown Engineering Honors Thesis Presentations

Please Join us for Brown Engineering Honors Thesis Presentations

April 26-30

All Presentations will take place in Barus & Holley Room 190

Monday, April 26th 

12:00 noon – Benjamin Howard, Mechanical Concentrator

Tuesday, April 27th 

9:00 am – Julie Marton, Civil Concentrator 

11:00 am – Andrea Jones, Chemical and Biochemical Concentrator 

12:00 noon – Jun Kudo, Mechanical Concentrator 

2:00 pm – Kantapon Kaewtip, Electrical Concentrator

 4:00 pm – Shin Bowers, Chemical and Biochemical Concentrator 

5:00 pm – Allison Yorita, Chemical and Biochemical Concentrator

Wednesday, April 28th 

12:00 noon – David Gagnon, Mechanical Concentrator 

1:00 pm – Poh Shi Qing, Electrical Concentrator

Thursday, April 29th 

11:00 am – Adam Hoffman, Mechanical Concentrator

Friday, April 30th
1:00 pm – Petros Perselis, Electrical Concentrator

ALUMNI Profile in Person: Sam Blackman, Sc.B. ‘98

ALUMNI Profile in Person:
Sam Blackman, Sc.B. ‘98

The Entrepreneur's Imperative
Joy, freedom, pain and suffering:
Lessons from a 21st-century software startup

Date: Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Time: Noon (yes, there will be pizza)
Room: Barus and Holley 190

Overview:
Sam Blackman '98 is the CEO and co-founder of Elemental Technologies, a video software startup company based in Portland, Oregon. In 2006, Sam took the leap out of corporate comfort to start his own company with a couple friends. Since then, there have been a few successes, more failures, and above all else the Brown mantra of "lifetime learning" fulfilled. This talk will focus primarily on the lessons learned about starting a company, with a sprinkling of Elemental's technology added for flavor. If the thought of working for someone other than the man (or woman) has ever crossed your mind, this is the talk for you. Lunch is included, so please bring your appetite as well as your curiosity!

Speaker Background:
As CEO, Chairman, and Co-Founder of Elemental, Sam has grown Elemental into the leading provider of GPU-accelerated video processing solutions. Prior to co-founding Elemental in 2006, Sam specified and architected next-generation products as an IC design manager for Pixelworks. He spent time in China organizing the company's Shanghai design center and was responsible for a wide variety of functional blocks on six ImageProcessor ICs. Prior to joining Pixelworks in 2000, Sam held engineering positions at Silicon Graphics and Intel Corporation. Sam holds an M.B.A from University of Oregon, an M.S.E.E. from University of California at Berkeley and a B.S.E.E. from Brown University in Providence, RI. While he's not as active as before Elemental and his two toddlers, Sam is an avid Ultimate Frisbee player.

Organized in collaboration with the Dean of the College Degree Days,
the Division of Engineering, and Commerce, Organizations, and Entrepreneurship.

Center for Fluid Mechanics Seminar Series with Marcos

CENTER FOR FLUID MECHANICS AND THE FLUIDS, THERMAL AND CHEMICAL PROCESSES GROUP
OF THE DIVISION OF ENGINEERING
SEMINAR SERIES
Marcos
Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA

TUESDAY, April 27, 2010
APPLIED MATHEMATICS BUILDING
182 GEORGE STREET
ROOM 110
4:00pm

Bacteria in Shear Flow
I present a combined experimental and theoretical analysis of a bacterium exposed to a shear flow. I start by addressing the role of chirality in shear, motivated by the helical shape of some bacterial species (e.g. spirochetes) and of the flagella of all motile bacteria. While non-chiral objects at low Reynolds numbers faithfully follow streamlines, our model based on Resistive Force Theory predicts that the coupling of chirality and shear results in a lift force, which induces a drift perpendicular to the shear plane. We verified this prediction experimentally by exposing spirochetes to a plane parabolic flow in a microfluidic channel and tracking their lateral position by videomicroscopy. This method can be used to separate microscale chiral objects of opposite handedness when shear is larger than rotational Brownian diffusion, providing hope for a straightforward approach for the separation of chiral molecules, of considerable interest in the food and pharmaceutical industries. By tracking individual bacteria in microchannels, we find that shear alters bacterial swimming patterns and in particular reduces their ability to move across streamlines. This results from the bacteria undergoing Jeffery orbits, which bias cell orientation in the direction of the flow and hamper cross-streamline swimming. This can in turn hinder chemotaxis and thus have a significant negative effect on bacteria foraging. Finally, a separate set of experiments shows that bacteria do not alter their swimming behavior in response to shear: nature has apparently not deemed it worthwhile to develop a shear sensor at the micrometer scale.

Center for Fluid Mechanics Seminar Series with Michael Berhanu

CENTER FOR FLUID MECHANICS AND THE FLUIDS, THERMAL AND CHEMICAL PROCESSES GROUP
OF THE DIVISION OF ENGINEERING
SEMINAR SERIES

Michael Berhanu
Coworkers : Darija Cosic and Pr. Arshad Kudrolli
Clark University, Department of Physics, Worcester, MA

TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2010
APPLIED MATHEMATICS BUILDING
182 GEORGE STREET
ROOM 110
3:00pm

Granular Aggregates with Capillary Interactions We consider assembly of identical spherical particles (of diameter about 3 mm) floating on the surface of a viscous liquid. Interface deformation and gravity create attractive interactions between particles, leading to capillary aggregation. Firstly, features of this phenomena are experimentally investigated for a small number of particles to understand self-organization of floating spheres. Then for a large number of particles, density is homogeneously increased. Dense aggregates are formed and we investigate structure of such a cohesive granular medium as a function of area fraction. Using Voronoi tesselation, heterogeneity is characterized. Moreover significant short range order is found, by computing pair correlation function and orientational order parameter. This two-dimensional example demonstrates that structure of an athermal system of attractive particles contrasts strongly with the cohesionless case. When density is increased, heterogeneity decreases and steric effects become more important compared to attraction of particles. Finally jamming transition is reached, inducing the buckling of the aggregate.

Tau Beta Pi Alumnni Career Panel

Engineering Career Panel - What can you do with an engineering degree?

Free Nice Slice pizza and refreshments will be served during...
A question and answer forum of a panel of alumni of the engineering honor society, Tau Beta Pi, who took their undergraduate engineering degrees and went into a variety of fields including academia, consulting, marketing, entrepreneurship, and industry.

Thursday, April 15
6 PM
Barus and Holley 190
Contact Eli_Fine@brown.edu with questions.

“Scale and Time Dependent Mechanics of Polymeric Nanofibers”

BROWN UNIVERSITY
Joint Materials/Solid Mechanics Seminar Series

“Scale and Time Dependent Mechanics of Polymeric Nanofibers”

Prof. Ioannis Chasiotis
Department of Aerospace Engineering
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Abstract:

The mechanical response of polymeric nanostructures as a function of size and strain rate is largely unexplored. This seminar will elaborate on the mechanical behavior of electrospun polymeric nanofibers at strain rates 10-4 - 200 s-1 as a function of their diameter and fabrication conditions. The experiments were conducted via MEMS tools in conjunction with digital image correlation motion tracking, which allowed for high resolution measurements in force and nanofiber extension. The advantage of this method lies with the ability to carry out nanoscale experiments in ambient conditions, contrary to commonly followed practices that require imaging with electron microscopy. The elastic modulus and the tensile strength of nanofibers with diameters between 200-800 nm varied by a factor of seven with fibers in the range of 200-300 nm resulting in the highest property values. Thinner fibers that demonstrated the highest mechanical strengths were characterized by molecular alignment which was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Most mechanical properties varied monotonically in the aforementioned range of strain rates, while they were a strong function of the nanofiber diameters and the necking instabilities occurring during the tensile experiments. These results supported the optimization of the fabrication method of electrospinning in order to produce amorphous polymeric nanofibers with true ultimate tensile strength as high as 900 MPa and ductility exceeding 200% at most applied strain rates.

Monday, April 19, 2010 - 4:00-5:00 pm - B&H Room 190

DPR Construction, Inc. Campus Visit

Building to a Higher Level
DPR Construction, Inc. is a unique technical builder with a passion for results. Ranked in the top 50 general contractors in the country over the last 10 years, we are a national commercial general contractor and construction manager that has grown with our customers by delivering measurably more value. With the purpose of building great things—great teams, great buildings, great relationships—DPR is a truly great company. Our relentless accountability, proven technical expertise, and collaborative approach allow us to provide a higher level of quality service on projects of all sizes and complexities, whether it's a multi-million-dollar technical facility or the renovation of a single office.

Jack Poindexter (Class of ’99) and myself (Class of ’00) would love to talk about how our experience at Brown has prepared us for the real world.

Join us on Wednesday, April 14th from 5:30 to 6:30 in BH Room 190 - Dinner will be served.

We will be promoting internship opportunities still available within our company this summer, and we will be looking for folks we can conduct interviews with on Thursday. More information is available on our website: www.dpr.com

Southwest Airlines and HACU Open Travel Program for College Students

Southwest Airlines and HACU Open Travel Program for College Students
LANZATE TAKES OFF!

DALLAS, TX – March 16, 2010 – Southwest Airlines, in conjunction with the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), announced today the opening of “Dándole Alas a Tu Éxito/Giving Flight to Your Success,” its annual education travel award program. Online applications will be accepted through April 30, 2010, at www.hacu.net. A panel of judges comprised of college professors and education advocates from coast to coast will gather this summer to select students who will receive free travel to their colleges and universities.

Related Web Site: http://www.hacu.net/hacu/Lanzate_EN.asp

The Scoop on the STEM fields

The Career Development Center at Brown has begun building an initiative around the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields during the Spring 2010 semester. The purpose of our program, in the form of a blog, is to focus on resources and presentations held on campus, as well as present insightful pieces from alumni and graduate students in the sciences. Additionally, we provide a wealth of knowledge on concentration possibilities, internships, career and job opportunities, and graduate school opportunities. Please visit http://careerdevelopment.brown.edu/blog/?cat=5 to find out The Scoop on the STEM fields.

$2,000 Barcode Challenge

$2,000 (yeah, $2,000) up for Grabs
Why not give it a try?

We're a team of Brown CS students and alumns (we've also graduated from Apple and Google) building an awesome startup right here, in Providence. Our team is pretty small and we're looking for some serious talent to help us out. What better way to find talent than by creating a fun challenge?
We have a really good barcode scanner for the iPhone 3GS but we want to extend it to the older model iPhones which have a fixed-focus camera.
Be the first one to write a decoder for UPC/EAN barcodes that can decode blurry pictures of barcodes taken with a first or second generation iPhone (3G), and we’ll write your name on a $2,000 check.
You can use any language you want (Matlab, C, C++, Obj-C preferred), and any Computer Vision library, as long as we can include it in a commercial program and it’s available for C/C++/Obj-C.
You can work in teams and cooperate.
The decoder’s success rate must be of at least 85% and must run in real time (i.e.optimizable to decode a barcode in less than 0.2 seconds)
Send us an email if you are participating, so we can update you with news. challenge@dedoware.com
You have until April 26th, 2010, but you should keep us posted on your progress.Visit http://www.dedoware.com/challenge for more details

Spread the Word!

MoSAIc REU at Iowa State University

The MoSAIc REU at Iowa State University will provide participants with a ten-week research experience in the area of Microscale Sensing Actuation and Imaging. Students will pursue fundamental investigations related to design and manufacturing of microscale sensors, actuators and smart materials as well as development of state-of-the-art imaging and diagnostic systems. Examples include flexible linkages, magneto-restrictive materials, solar cell architectures, nanomechanical sensors for biological agents, switchable surface assemblies and high spatiotemporal resolution 4-D imaging sensors. The research experiences will be complemented by cohort experiences including a suite of short courses, professional development and extracurricular activities. A unique component of the REU site will be a workshop on ethical issues pertaining to engineering research. Students can walk away from their REU experience where they evolved from a dependent status to a relatively independent status with life-long learning skills that will impact their contributions to society.

Applications are due by April 23, 2010

> More information can be found at http://www.me.iastate.edu/mosaic

“Phase-field crystal study of compositional domain formation on surfaces”

BROWN UNIVERSITY
Joint Materials/Solid Mechanics Seminar Series

“Phase-field crystal study of compositional domain formation on surfaces”

Prof. Mikko P. Haataja
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Princeton University

Abstract:

When deposited on a surface, bulk-immiscible binary alloys often display interesting compositional domain formation phenomena at the atomic scale, driven by the lattice mismatch between the substrate atoms and the alloy constituents. Control of such nanoscale features may offer a means to engineer surfaces with tunable chemical and mechanical properties. In this work, we study the structure and dynamics of such domains using the so-called phase-field crystal (PFC) method. In the limit of purely elastic deformations of the adlayer, the model predicts the formation of compositional nanoscale domains for a 1:1 mixture, in agreement with experiments and previous simulations. We further examine the interplay between misfit dislocation formation and compositional patterning for a wide range of alloy compositions.

Monday, April 12, 2010 4:00-5:00 pm B&H Room 190

Brown Degree Days: Science and Society, Life After Brown

Brown Degree Days:
Science and Society, Life After Brown

Wed. April 7, 5:00pm
Third World Center, 68 Brown St., 1st floor lounge

Refreshments will be served.

Deborah Weinstein:
Visiting lecturer in Gender and Sexuality Studies
Professor Weinstein is an historian of Science who now teaches two courses of interest to STS students.
Her own work is on the history of the human sciences.

Elizabeth Schibuk:
“After writing my Science and Society thesis on undergraduate science education reform, I decided to give science education a try. Since graduating in May 2008, I've been teaching chemistry, physics, and sustainable design at a small charter high school in Pawtucket RI. My background in Science and Society has informed my teaching practice as I've worked to develop interdisciplinary units in my classroom. Earlier this year my chemistry students spent five weeks investigating the science and the politics of nuclear warfare and nuclear energy. My students got the chance to video conference with an active nuclear submariner as well as with a former Naval nuclear reactor operator before writing position papers on a nuclear-chemistry related "issue" of their choice. In a different vein, my physics class recently began studying the history of astronomy, and has been studying the historical interface between science and religion as they prepare to perform a mock trial of Galileo. Though these projects certainly deviate from any standard high school curriculum, I find student engagement increases when students can study science in the context of some social or historical "problem." I very much enjoy teaching science and recognize the ways that my Brown education inspired me and prepared me for this career.”

Keystone Strategy business analysts and consultants

Keystone Strategy (www.keystonestrategy.com)

Keystone is looking to hire both business analysts (individuals graduating with a bachelor’s and/or master’s degree) and consultants (students graduating from PhD programs or certain master’s programs, depending on experience) to join its team who can start in the May-Oct 2010 time frame. These positions will be based at our San Francisco and Boston offices.

Keystone is not your typical strategy consulting firm. Formed in partnership with professors from Harvard Business School and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Keystone has unique access to experts and thought leadership from top academic institutions. Drawing upon the experience of our experts, we focus on data-driven strategy and economic consulting services for leading Fortune 100 science and technology firms. We tackle complex business problems in rapidly evolving industries such as online advertising, internet services, semiconductors, software, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology.

The Keystone culture encourages analysts to quickly contribute to client engagements. Typical responsibilities for our analysts include conducting quantitative and qualitative research, managing interviews, written and slide driven communication of research and insight, and contributing to final recommendations. We seek high performing analysts to join our team – individuals who thrive on analytical problem solving and who are smart, ambitious and inquisitive. For more information, please see our website at http://www.keystonestrategy.com.

Application Process
Please forward the following to Kelley Wittbold (kwittbold@keystonestrategy.com) and CC Rhiannon Adams, our Human Resources personnel, at RAdams@keystonestrategy.com as soon as possible:

• Resume
• Cover Letter which touches upon each of the ideal qualifications listed http://keystonestrategy.com/Job_Analyst.html

In the subject please mention Analyst Application_Your Name

For more information, please contact
Kelley Wittbold, Brown University ‘07 - kwittbold@keystonestrategy.com