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Announcements

First ASCE student chapter meeting of the semester - today!

The first ASCE General Meeting of the year will be held Wednesday in CB204W at 4pm. A BBQ will follow at 5pm on the Coyle Terrace. 

 CEE Seminar Series: 

The CEE graduate student seminar series is typically held the second and fourth Wednesdays each month from 4-4:50 p.m. in CB204W. The SDSM&T and engineering community are welcome to attend. Please check the CEE web page for updates.

9/12 - Larry Schmaltz (BSCE 79), president of A2L Technologies, Inc., "North Dakota Oil Production - Challenges and Opportunities" (Joint meeting with ASCE student chapter, Department of Geology and Geological Engineering).

9/26 - TBA 

10/10 - Kathy HiIdebrandt, South Dakota Board of Personnel Training, workshop on leadership (Joint with ASCE). 

10/24 - Barney Frankl, SDDOT bridge engineer, "Planning, Design and Construction of Highway Bridges" (Joint with ASCE). 

11/14 - ASCE president-elect Randall Over to visit campus (tentative). 

12/5 - Liz Berg (BSCE 06), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Joint with ASCE). 

Student opportunities

Well Drillers Offer $5,000 in Scholarships:
The South Dakota Well Drillers Association is offering scholarships totaling $5000 to be divided between two students.  Applicants must be residents of South Dakota or relatives of an individual employed by a SDWDA member company in good standing and a full-time student of an accredited South Dakota university or technical school with a major related to the well water/groundwater industry.  Applications must be received by Dec. 1, 2012. For information and application requirements, email Dennis Duvall at dennis@dakotaenv.com.

Research Associateship Programs:

The 'National Research Council' of the National Academies sponsors awards for graduate, postdoctoral and senior researchers at participating federal laboratories and affiliated institutions. These awards include generous stipends ranging from $42,000 - $75,000 per year for recent doctoral graduates, and more for those with additional experience. Graduate entry-level stipends begin at $30,000. These awards provide recipients independent research opportunities in some of the best-equipped and well-staffed laboratories in the U.S. Research opportunities are open to U.S. citizens and permanent residents, and some laboratories offer opportunities to foreign nationals.   

There are four annual review cycles.

1. Opens September 1st - Closes November 1st.

2. Opens December 1st - Closes February 1st.

3. Opens March 1st - Closes May 1st.

4. Opens June 1st - Closes August 1st.

Detailed program information, including online applications, instructions on how to apply and a list of participating laboratories are available on the NRC Research Associateship Programs website. Questions should be directed to the NRC at 202-334-2760 (phone) or rap@nas.edu. Applicants should contact prospective lab advisor(s) prior to the application deadline to discuss research interests and funding opportunities.  

Dam Safety 2012 Conference and Career Fair in Denver, Sept. 16-21:
The Association of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO), a national nonprofit organization of more than 3,000 members representing state and federal agencies, local governments, utilities, and the private sector, invites students to attend its 29th annual conference at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, September 16-21. Students are invited to attend all sessions and receptions, and to relax, mingle, and browse materials in the student lounge area, adjacent to the exhibit hall. The event is expected to attract more than 1,000 participants from around the world, and offer opportunities to learn from and network with renowned experts in dam engineering and related fields. 

The Dam Safety Career Fair is Monday, Sept. 17, 5 pm - 6:30 pm: This special event for students and prospective employers will be held during the evening reception, which begins at 5:00 and ends at 6:30.  The Career Fair will take place in the Student Lounge adjacent to the Exhibit Hall, site of the reception.  The event will feature a short presentation on career opportunities in dam safety and engineering, followed by an informal mixer.  Students, bring your resumes!    

Complimentary Admission for Students: ASDSO will waive registration fees for students presenting valid IDs from North American schools. Complimentary registrations are not available online, but students may send a completed Dam Safety 2012 Registration Form to ASDSO via email - info@damsafety.org, fax - 859-323-1958, or postal mail - ASDSO, 450 Old Vine St, Lexington, KY 40507. (Find registration forms at www.damsafety.org/media/Documents/Conferences-Training/2012%20Annual%20Conference/ASDSO%20Registration%20Form%20WEB.pdf.

Registration: Please pre-register. Walk-ins are welcome, but pre-registering helps planning, and students who pre-register will have materials ready and waiting at the registration desk.  

More information on Dam Safety 2012: www.damsafety.org - Conferences & Training:  http://damsafety.org/conferences/?p=a5db6ea2-9f93-4629-a41c-6ef46ed02727. 

For additional information on ASDSO's student opportunities, see www.damsafety.org - Information specifically for Students/Faculty - http://www.damsafety.org/community/students/?p=50b79f07-f70a-4733-acef-d5c864ca76a7. Contact: Sarah McCubbin-Cain, <smc@damsafety.org>, 859-257-2102.  

Curriculum notes

FE Exam Information...

Take to first step toward professional licensure - apply for the April 2013 Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Examination by January 1, 2013. Seniors who are within two semesters of graduating may apply for the FE exam, which is the national examination from the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES). You must register with South Dakota Board of Technical Professions online at: https://apps.sd.gov/applications/ld17btp/Applications/secure/forms/BTPFEApplication.asp.  

The CEE department strongly encourages you take this exam as soon as you are eligible, as it is the first step toward professional licensure. Passing the FE exam is an important milestone that will increase your career opportunities. There will be general and civil engineering specific review sessions offered in this fall and next. To purchase a general review or civil engineering topics review manual, contact the ASCE student chapter: asce@mines.sdsmt.edu.  

For more information about licensure in South Dakota, see http://dlr.sd.gov/bdcomm/btp/engineers.aspx.

For more information about the FE exam, see http://www.ncees.org/Exams/FE_exam.php.

Please note that the CEE department does not require students to take the FE exam to graduate, but don't limit your opportunities by neglecting to take this exam! It becomes significantly more difficult to pass this exam after you graduate.

Reminder about the 130-credit curricula for 2012-13...  

Key changes in BSCE degree requirements between 130 and 136 credit curricula are: 1) PE is no longer required, 2) an additional science or math elective is required, and 3) one less department approved elective is required. Note that you must meet the degree requirements (i.e., the specified course work), not just the minimum number of credits, to graduate.

Other Notes:

1) If you took CEE 358, you may use CEE 357 as a department approved elective.

2) If you have taken both ME 221 and ME 211, you may count one of these as a department approved elective in the 130-credit curriculum.

3) If you took CEE 368, you may use that in lieu of CEE 325 (which is now required) or as a department approved elective.

4) If you took IE 301 instead of IE 302, you will still meet the graduation requirements as long as you have enough total credits. 

Questions? See your advisor.

New minors available: Students interested in gaining additional expertise in sustainable engineering or environmental engineering can now pursue minors in these areas. Program information posted under "Forms" on the cee.sdsmt.edu website.
Degree flowcharts for the traditional civil and environmental emphasis paths are posted under Forms on the cee.sdsmt.edu web site. 

Ten SDSM&T student members of the American Society of Civil Engineers Student Chapter, along with CEE faculty Dr. Bora Cetin and Dr. M.R. Hansen, toured the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in Carlsbad, New Mexico. The WIPP is a 2100' deep salt mine, a repository for transuranic waste and has operated safely since 2001. SDSM&T Alumnus Dr. Frank Hansen (BSCE '73 and MSCE '74) of Sandia National Laboratories guided the group and shared his experience designing the shaft sealing system of the mine. While in New Mexico the group also toured the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History in Albuquerque.    

CEE students and faculty stand outside the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant near Carlsbad, NM. L-R: Kirk Ehlke, Brian Ruppelt, Michael Dollarhide, Ben Wolf, Erik Vik, Cole Bedford, Chris Timm, Elizabeth Kreher, Tony Kulesa, Kody Heller, Kristen Markham, Dr. Bora Cetin, Barbara Hansen, Dr. M.R. Hansen

 

Dr. Frank Hansen of Sandia National Laboratories hosted the group and guided them through the salt cavern. Back L-R: Dr. Bora Cetin, Erik Vik, Kirk Ehlke, Tony Kulesa, Ben Wolf, Michael Dollarhide, Brian Ruppelt Front L-R: Kristen Markham, Dr. Frank Hansen, Kody Heller, Dr. M.R. Hansen, Barbara Hansen, Elizabeth Kreher, Cole Bedford, Chris Timm

Awarded...

Tyler Hengen (BS EnvE senior) recently won a $2,500 scholarship from the Associated General Contractors of South Dakota.

Ellen Haffner was been named the SDSM&T Traditions of Excellence Award recipient for July 2012. Ellen is a program assistant in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department and has been employed at SDSM&T since 2002.  

Attended...

Dr. Molly Gribb attended a Cloud Peak Energy mine tour on June 14, 2012 and had the pleasure of detonating a blast at the Cordero Rojo mine near Gillette, WY. She also visited with EnvE senior student, Kyle Doerr, who interned at Cloud Peak this summer.

Dr. Gribb detonating a blast at the Cordero Rojo Mine.