Holiday Edition

I have no news to share, no important reminders to pester you with, and no wonderful helpful tools to get you over your academic hump. Just fun happy stuff to share as you begin your winter break.

Dates to Know

University & MSE Offices Closed: 12/20/14 – 1/4/15

Classes Begin: 1/20

Helpful Tips

Don't wrap with a cat in the room.

Random 

President Coolidge started the National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on the White House lawn in 1923.

Around 17.5 million oily doughnuts (sufganiyot) are eaten in Israel during Hanukkah, commemorating the miracle of oil.

Ut Prosim

Always serve others. 

Sandbox

No arguing with your siblings.

My Schedule 

I will be out of the office until Monday, January 5, 2015. During this time I will have limited access to e-mail.

ADD

Over the weekend I developed a head cold. I am under the influence of not only the head cold but day time cold medication. The head cold itself is enough to make me spacey – add the medication and I suffer from the worst case of ADD.  Take today’s Blog for instance … I have no idea what the important dates or news I had in mind to remind you about. I set out to look them up and I ended up learning that couples could not defuse a bomb together.

Here is what I do remember…

• Come to the Holiday get together on reading day.
• RSVP to the evite.
• Faculty members will be auctioned off on reading day.
• Reading Day is on Thursday.
• Oh yeah …. I will be volunteering at the Montgomery Christmas Store Wednesday afternoon. Please let me know if you want to volunteer too.
• Wednesday is the last day to withdrawal from a class (if you are still eligible). I will be out Wednesday afternoon. You must see me by noon Wednesday if you want to withdrawal from a course.

Important Dates

12/10: Last Day of Class & Last Day to Withdrawal

12/11: MSE Holiday Get Together & Reading Day

12/12 – 12/18: Exams 

Helpful Tools

From: Center for Instructional Development and Educational Research

Do you know a teacher at Virginia Tech who Encouraged you, Challenged you, or Inspired you?

Want to say thanks? We can help.

Thanking a teacher is easy with the Center for Instructional Development and Educational Research Thank a Teacher program. Simply fill out our online form including one or two sentences expressing your appreciation (with the option to remain anonymous), and we'll send your professor, instructor, or graduate teaching assistant a thank you note. Visit the Thank a Teacher website.

For more information, contact Tiffany Shoop at 540-231-0785.

For more information contact Tiffany Shoop at 540-231-0785

Random 

Ut Prosim

Volunteers do not necessarily have the time; they just have the heart.  ~Elizabeth Andrew

Sandbox

The Expert, A Hilarious Sketch Comedy Video About the Pain of Being the Only Engineer in a Business Meeting

My Schedule 

Scheduled meeting times are available 10-11:45 & 1:30-415. To schedule a meeting please log into your Scholar account.

7 Days And Counting

With only 7 days of classes to go this semester is almost done. Can you list everything you have to do on one hand?

One thing sophomores need to take care of is that pesky required end of semester meeting with me. We need to get this meeting out of the way before reading day. Please schedule your appointment using Scholar.  

This Friday the MSE Sophomores will present their posters “What is MSE” as part of the MSE 2884 Professional Development class. Please stop by Collegiate Square Conference Room on Friday, December 05, 2014 to show your support. Refreshments will be served. Poster Sessions are as follows:

Poster Session 1 1:30-1:55  

Poster Session 2  2:00-2:25 

Poster Session 3  2:30-2:55  

Poster Session 4 3:00-3:25  

Please dig through your e-mail and respond to the E-vite and indicate "yes" you are coming to the Annual MSE Holiday Pot-Luck, on December 11. Please don’t shy away because you burn water! You don’t want to miss the silent auction.

MEPS News

The Steel Dynamics tour is scheduled for this Friday, December 5. You must complete this link if you are interested in attending: https://survey.vt.edu/survey/entry.jsp?id=1416957683279

In the coming months MEPS members (you) will be voting on the new board members. In an effort to familiarize everyone with the various tasks of the board members I will highlight the various rolls from time to time.

Cameron Crowell (MSE Senior) is the current MEPS Professional Coordinator. His responsibilities include keep existing relationships going between MEPS and companies as well as starting new relationships. This includes searching for and communicating with companies who would like to present to MSE students at the monthly meetings or any other time. Care must be taken to find companies that suit the many interests of students in the department. It is a good position to be in if you would like company contacts for many different companies.

Important Dates

12/5 – Summer Course Request Opens

12/10 – Last Day of Classes

12/10 – Last Day to Withdrawal

1/26/15 – Last Day to Add Spring 2015 course

       

Helpful Tools

6 things professors wish they could tell their students, but never do

1- Impressing us is easier than you think

2 - It’s an added bonus when you actually like us

3 - Where’s the love?

4 - The grading system isn’t always fair

5 - I’m willing to help, but you have to let me

6 - Know what it takes to succeed

Random 

Did you know that only two volcanoes in the world spew blue flame?

Words To Live By

I’m an idealist. I don’t know where I’m going, but I’m on my way. – Carl Sandburg

Sandbox

My Schedule 

Scheduled meeting times are available 10-11:45 & 1:30-415. To schedule a meeting please log into your Scholar account.

Why is it Flurrying?

This Blog may be a day late but it won’t be a dollar short! Always so much going on …

First, an observation: It’s cold – but seriously … I’m sure most of you are familiar with spring and summer rains in the Blacksburg area – it’s raining and there isn’t a cloud in the sky. Well this morning when I left for the gym I noticed it was flurrying and there wasn’t a single cloud in the sky. How is that even possible? At least we aren’t in Buffalo, NY this morning.

Every December my family volunteers at the Montgomery County Christmas Store (http://www.mcchristmasstore.org/). Again this year, I’m asking if you would like to join me and my family as we help others. My family will be donating our time on Wednesday, December 10 from 12:30-5. Please let me know by Friday, 11/21 if you can join us.

MEPS News

Do you like Jeopardy and Who Wants to be a Millionaire? Would you like to do it Materials Style? Answer questions like what element has the atomic number 16 and what is the energy separation between the valence and conduction band called. Did you guess sulfur and band gap? Sign-up to compete in the Virginia Tech Materials Bowl Competition to decide who will go on to compete at TMS. If you have any questions contact Myrissa. 

MEPS will host our first ever Faculty Auction at the annual MSE Holiday Potluck, 12/11. Up for silent auction are Dr. Staley, Dr. Guido, Dr. Corcoran, Dr. Julian and Michelle.  Come and place your bid to cook authentic foods, attend a basketball game, play laser tag, bake goodies, or craft with these faculty members or Michelle. Stay tuned for more details.

As you know, MEPS has been bringing guest speakers to the monthly meetings. With growth of the department and wide range of interest we want to hear from you. What kinds of companies would you like to visit next spring? Please tell us by completing the on-line survey here.

Important Dates

This Friday is the last day to request to reschedule a final exam. Complete details were emailed to you – please read your email.

Add/Drop for the spring term will begin on Saturday after Thanksgiving.

Helpful Tools

Pretty soon there is going to be a mass exodus from Blacksburg. Please be careful as you travel home. Remember to check out Virginia 511 before you travel for road and traffic conditions in Virginia.

VA 511 is great on the computer but the download app isn’t so hot. A much better app for checking traffic and road conditions is Waze.

Random 

Fossil evidence shows that turkeys roamed the Americas 10 million years ago.

Words To Live By

You may have heard of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. There's another day you might want to know about: Giving Tuesday. The idea is pretty straightforward. On the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, shoppers take a break from their gift-buying and donate what they can to charity. – Bill Gates

Sandbox

My Schedule 

Scheduled meeting times are available 10-11:45 & 1:30-415. To schedule a meeting please log into your Scholar account.