Southeast Region News

April 2009

Hello Everyone!

Happy spring to all the IE's out there! We apologize for the lapse in newsletters the last couple of months. Our goal is to send out a new update every other month in the short term until we can build consistent contributors to the content.

Graduation is in the air, and for seniors, that means it is job hunting season! Be sure to check out the article, Flipping the Interview (in this issue), for tips on how to wow your potential employers.

I hope the year has been going well. As a reminder, if there is a member in your chapter that you would like to recognize for outstanding achievement, please send your recommendations to Aaron Kanne. We look forward to hearing from you!

Aaron K Kanne
Southeast Newsletter Editor

2009 University Regional Conference at Louisiana State University was a huge success!

"IE: The Driving Force of Tomorrow"

Dates: February 12th - 14th

Louisiana State University

We would like to thank Valeria Sobalvarro and the LSU Regional Conference Committee for their planning efforts this year. With their hard work and dedication, the conference was a great success. Eleven universities attended the conference, featuring 150 IE students converging to share and expand their knowledge of industrial engineering.

Mary Englehardt of the LSU College of Engineering wrote a detailed review of the conference. The review

Congratulations to the Alabama IIE Chapter!

The University of Alabama Institute of Industrial Engineers student chapter received the Silver Award in the 2008 IIE national chapter recognition competititon. The chapter recognition competition considers student involvement, chapter activity and progress. Since 2001, the University's IIE chapter has received four Gold and three Silver national awards.

Ms. Whitney Montgomery, president of the University of Alabama IIE student chapter, was recently informed by IIE that she will be awarded the nationally competitive UPS Scholarship for Female Students.

Five Southeast Chapters receive 2008 awards!

Congratulations to the following chapters. They received the 2008 SILVER Award, which is based on the 07-08 Chapter Activity Report:

University of Alabama - Tuscaloosa

University of Central Florida

University of Puerto Rico

Florida International University

Mercer University

Flipping the Interview - Some helpful hints to mastering the art of the interview...

One of the most nerve-racking experiences in life can be your first big interview. Even those that are experienced often get butterflies while waiting to enter an interview. One of the most critical parts of interview preparation seems to be having a great answer to every possible question that they could throw at you, yet few take the time to think about the questions they will ask of their potential employer. The full article explores some possible questions to ask, why you would ask them, and what that question may possibly tell your employer about you. Remember, the interview is a two-way process. Not only are they interviewing you as a potential employee, you must ask the right questions to determine if they are a right fit for you! Full article

2009 IIE Annual Conference and Expo is quickly approaching

"Innovations Revealed"

Dates: May 30 - June 3

Miami - Doral Golf Resort and Spa

The national IIE conference will be here before you know it, so register today. Here is an excerpt from the conference website explaining why this conference is a "can't miss":

Out-of-the-box? In-the-box? You're so innovative and inventive that you have eliminated confining boxes all together. You burst out with ideas and products offering endless possibilities for finding better ways of doing almost everything.

You and your colleagues will converge at this conference to explore innovations revealed in improving efficiency, productivity, quality and competitive position for your organization.

Be there to:

Tap into the expertise of renowned keynote speakers
Get a jump on competition through educational sessions and workshops that explore the latest in the industrial, systems and productivity arenas
Capture leading-edge research ideas from top universities and industries
Implement industry experts' creative successes as soon as you return to work
Reconnect with professional acquaintances; make new connections