February 2008 - SWE Space Coast

Society of Women Engineers
Space Coast Section Newsletter
Vol. 13, No. 4, February 2008
P.O. Box 1297 Cape Canaveral, Florida 32920
Visit Our Website at http://www.swe-sc.org/
In this SWE Space Coast Newsletter Edition:
¾ Our Space Coast Woman Engineer of the Year
Banquet is February 26. RSVP by Feb 20th!
¾ The 2008 SWE Region D Conference is from
February 28-March 2 in Miami. Register today!
¾ Join our SWE-SC Book Club!
¾ Have fun with another of our Engineering
Crossword Puzzles
¾ Learn which 10 things you should NEVER do at
work
¾ Learn some eating out diet tips in ‘Health Galore’
¾ A delicious pasta meal in ‘Food for Thought’
¾ Plus more!!!
Kathy Whitcomb –
President
Section Contacts
President:
Kathy Whitcomb, USA
(W) 861-7861 (H) 452-9477
Kathy.k.whitcomb@usa-spaceops.com
Vice President:
vacant
Secretary:
Kungun Mathur
kmathur@harris.com
Section Representatives:
DeAnn Sperber, Harris
(W) 768-4846 (H) 956-1318
Dsperber@harris.com
Linda Hait
(H) 904-347-2777 (M) 904-392-9557
Mitchellhait@gmail.com
Treasurer:
Kathy Karmazin-Calin, USA
kkarmazin@cfl.rr.com
Newsletter:
Ivette Rivera, NASA
(W) 867-7791 (C) 407-712-3832
ivette.rivera-1@nasa.gov
Publicity Chair:
Mary Glaze
glazetc@earthlink.net
Webmaster:
Nan Joi Haynes
(H) 504-0596
kimchee@cfl.rr.com
Career Guidance Chair:
Judy Kersey
(H) 783-4644 (F) 784-5871
judy.kersey@swe.org
Scholarship:
Carol Bacque, USA
(W) 861-4944
astronautwoman@aol.com
Professional Development Chair:
Lori McPherson
(W) 453-2525 (H) 452-9238
LMcPherson@Walchem.com
Membership Chair:
Susan Floyd, Boeing
(W) 861-9066 (H) 453-0327
Susan.l.floyd@boeing.com
CCTS Rep:
Kam Kersey
Awards Banquet: Vacant
Girls Engineering Workshop: Judy Kersey
Science Fair: Mindy Ritz (C) 591-1694
Camp KSC Scholarship: Monique Butler (W) 799-7033
Robotics Summer Camp: Judy Kersey
Student Sections
FIT Student President:
Bethany Peterson, bpeterso@fit.edu
ERAU Student President:
Rowena Aburto, rowenaaburto@gmail.com
Society of Women Engineers
Space Coast Section
presents:
Where: Rockledge Country Club
When: Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Time: 6:00 PM Social
7:00 PM Dinner
8:00 PM Speaker/Awards Presentation
Menu: Choice of Macadamia Nut Chicken,
Prime Rib, or Chef’s Choice Vegetarian
RSVP: by Wednesday, February 20th
Cost:
For questions contact
Kathy Whitcomb at
321-427-2481
$32 SWE members
$37 guests
$16 Students
To place your reservation, visit http://www.swe-sc.org/
Janet Petro Biography
Janet Petro has served as deputy director of Kennedy Space Center, Fla., since April 2007. She is
responsible for assisting the director in determining and implementing center policy and in
managing and executing KSC missions and agency program responsibilities. Petro succeeds
William (Bill) W. Parsons, who assumed the position as director of the center in January.
Prior to joining NASA, Petro served in various management positions for Science Applications
International Corporation, also known as SAIC, where she provided extensive program
management and technical leadership since December 2000. She directly interacted with seniorlevel government customers, and was responsible for overseeing program and project managers
and providing operational guidance on various technical programs.
At SAIC, Petro held positions of increasing responsibility within the corporation's Satellite Beach
Subsurface Engineering and Data Center Operations, including division and deputy operations
manager. She directed technical teams in the design, installation and sustainment support for the
Subsurface Engineering and Logistics Support contract. In SAIC's St. Petersburg division, she led
the Cooperative Engagement Capability Pre-Planned Product Improvement Program Team in
developing supportability products for an upgraded signal data processing assembly.
Earlier in her career, Petro held various senior management positions with McDonnell Douglas
Aerospace, including program manager for managing and executing a classified $13-million U.S.
Department of Defense program at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. The program involved
integrating, supporting and coordinating payloads onto various space vehicles at U.S. Air Force and
NASA facilities.
Petro served as a captain in the U.S. Army's aviation branch. She holds a bachelor's degree in
engineering from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., and a Master of Science degree in
business administration from Boston University Metropolitan College.
She resides in Indian Harbor Beach, Fla., with her daughter, Hannah, and son, Andrew.
2008 Region D Conference
The University of Miami Collegiate Section of
the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) is
excited to welcome you to the 2008 SWE
Region D Conference from February 28 –
March 2 in historic Coral Gables, Florida. The
purpose of this conference is to provide an
exciting opportunity for all attendees to explore
the ways in which women in technical careers
collaborate to create the future and challenge
traditional perceptions of women. The theme
we have chosen is Illuminations: Women
Collaborating to Enlighten the World, which will
be highlighted throughout the conference with
a variety of networking events, workshops, and
keynote speakers.
For registration and pricing information visit
http://www.swe.org/regiond/regiondconference/
Join SWE-SC Book Club
The next meeting of the SWE-SC Book Club will
be held on Saturday March 15th @ 2 p.m.
The next selection is a Science Fiction book,
Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash.
From Amazon.com: "A breakneck-paced 21stcentury novel, Snow Crash interweaves
everything from Sumerian myth to visions of a
postmodern civilization on the brink of collapse.
Faster than the speed of television and a whole
lot more fun, Snow Crash is the portrayal of a
future that is bizarre enough to be
plausible." As engineers and scientists, the
futuristic science presented in the book should
give us plenty to think and talk about!
Pick up your copy and make plans to join us for
another lively discussion on March 15. We will
again meet at Lori McPherson’s house,
1925 S. Tropical Trail on Merritt Island,
and have light snacks and drinks.
Please RSVP to Lori at llmhek@earthlink.net
"Brilliantly realized...Stephenson
turns out to be an engaging guide to
an onrushing tomorrow."
--The New York Times Book Review
SWE-SC News
Introducing Girls to Engineering Workshop
We had a great turnout as usual for our workshop. With over 500 girls in the 3rd to 6th
grades, we needed all the great support we had, including 120 adults volunteers and
approximately 30 high school and middle school volunteers. The program was an
outstanding success again with the evaluations indicating that the girls thought it was one
of the greatest programs they had ever attended. Some of the girls have attended this
program for four years (since they were in 3rd grade). Approximately 10 of our volunteers
that are in middle school and high school also attended several years as students!
We also had approximately 110 parents and
teachers who attended and participated in
programs to help parents learn how to help their
daughters with math and science as well as
Internet Safety. Although we are still in recovery
mode, we are looking forward to doing this again
next January and if you weren’t able to attend
this year, watch for the date for next year.
We know we’re doing the job we set out to do
from what one of the students wrote in her
evaluation : “Now I know I want to be an
engineer.”
Continued on next slide
SWE-SC News (cont.)
Abby Hall, Cocoa Beach, is about
to test drive the motorized car she
built, learning about mechanical
and electrical engineering.
Tasnim Gomaa of Palm Bay learns
about electrical engineering as she
builds a Steady Hands Game.
Continued on next slide
SWE-SC News (cont.)
FIRST LEGO League Judges Needed
SWE-SC is the Florida State FIRST LEGO League
sponsor. One of our members, Laura Melnik is the state
coordinator and runs the state competition to be held at FIT
on Sunday, February 18. We need your help in judging for
this competition. With 48 teams to judge in four areas, we
need lots of help. The judging areas are:
*Robot Hardware -- how well is the robot designed, is it
robust, innovative, etc
*Robot Software -- how well is the software designed
*Teamwork -- how effectively does the team work together
*Research Presentation -- The topic for research project is
Alternative Energy.
More information on the competition, what judging includes
and a signup form are available on the web at www.swesc.org/FLL
Continued on next slide
SWE-SC News (Cont.)
CampKSC Scholarships
We are now accepting scholarship
applications for girls to attend
CampKSC this summer. We will
be awarding 20 scholarships – 10
based on need, 10 based on
academic achievement to girls in
3rd to 8th grades who attend
school in Brevard, Indian River or
Volusia Counties. If you know of
any girls who would be interested,
please direct them to our website
for more details. Applications are
due by March 15. www.swesc.org/CampKSC
SWE-SC News (Cont.)
Robotics Summer Camps for Girls
We are beginning planning for our Robotics Summer Camps for
Girls. We will again be offering 2 one week summer day camp
programs for girls currently in 4th to 6th grades using the LEGO
NXT Robotics kits to design and program robots the weeks of
6/9 and 6/16. A third week will be offered using VEX Robots for
girls currently in 7th and 8th grade and for 6th grade girls with
prior Robotics experience (either camp or FIRST LEGO
League) the week of 6/23. The programs will conclude with a
mini-competition on Friday afternoon. These camps will be held
at Cocoa Beach High School and are staffed by a SWE member,
a Brevard County HS teacher and one high school or college
student counselor for every three girls who work as a
team. Acceptance for these camps will be on a first come first
accepted basis. We will open registration for these camps in
March. Watch the website: www.swe-sc.org/Robotics
A VEX Robot
Robotics for Teachers and Boys
We will also be offering two one-day teacher/adult coach workshops for people interested in
starting a FIRST LEGO League Team on 6/6 and 6/7 and two one-day workshops in LEGO
Robotics for Boys on Sat. 6/14 and 6/21 at Cocoa Beach High School. Registration for these
programs will also open in March.
Engineering Crossword Puzzle
http://www.rfcafe.com/miscellany/crosswords/crossword_2-11-2008.htm
ACROSS
1. A semiconductor switching device
DOWN
1. End of a soldering iron
2. Web page language
3. Positive voltage lead color
4. Its chemical symbol is I
5. Official Space Shuttle designation, abbr.
6. Infinite resistance
7. Type of memory
11. Generally, the region of the radio spectrum above
1 GHz
15. Said of two functions that arrived at a common
point
17. Chemical symbol for francium
30. Be behind in phase
32. 300 Hz to 3 kHz
with four layers of alternating N and
33. Jack Kilby's and Robert
Noyce's invention that
P-type material.
changed the world, abbr.
8. Transmit Incremental Tuning, abbr.
34. Ham abbreviation for
9. End Of Transmission
10. Type of Internet e-mail scheme, abbr. "distant station"
36. Akin to an EE, IE, CE, AE,
12. Chemical symbol for platinum
etc.
13. Direct Digital Synthesis
37. Chemical symbol for
14. Electromagnetic, abbr.
radium
16. Band between RF and BB
18. Min-to-max voltage of a waveform, abbr. 38. Main brain of a computer,
abbr.
20. Army-Navy spec
40. Chemical symbol for
21. One input to a mixer, abbr.
calcium
22. Display that came before the LCD
24. Deutsche Industrie Normenausschuss 42. Radar type used for
making "blind" landings, abbr.
25. An angle that has more than 90
43. A receiver performance
degrees, but less than 180
specification, abbr.
26. The "M" in EMF
44. Voltage-Controlled
28. Applied Computational Sciences, abbr.
Oscillator
45. Like a 3-way power
divider, hybrid coupler,
circulator, etc.
19. Phase state between liquid and
solid
37. Type of memory
20. Popular drafting software
38. Amplifier vendor in Santa Clara,
21. Chemical symbol for lithium
CA
23. Electronic assembly transport
39. User Datagram Protocol
containers
41. Logic family
24. Implement used to bore holes
27. Borland's programming language
29. Chemical symbol for californium
31. Modulation type, abbr.
33. International Amateur Radio Union
35. Transceiver, abbr.
Meet & Greet
Name: Ebonni J. Adams
Workplace… Boeing @ the Kennedy Space
Center
Work Description… Mechanical Engineer
How many years as a SWE member… about 5
Tell us a little about yourself… I am a native of
the Detroit area so I have a natural admiration for
automobiles. I'd like to build my own one day. That
dream may only be deferred by my hopes of one
day owning a full service beauty salon. Nothing
wrong with having a wrench in one hand
and mascara in the other! In spite of my choice of
Engineering as a profession, I believe in staying
feminine at all costs! I really love to teach and
share knowledge so I am on my way to obtaining a
PhD in Mechanical Engineering at North Carolina
A&T State University in Spring 2008 as a recipient
of the Clare Boothe Luce Foundation Doctoral
Fellowship.
Message to SWE Members…
Think slow, act fast, dream big, and do it now!
SWE definately can help!
Ebonni Adams
Engineering Marvels
zSky Walk
The Grand Canyon Skywalk is a tourist
attraction along the Colorado River on the
edge of the Grand Canyon (Grand Canyon
West) in the U.S. state of Arizona.
Commissioned by the Hualapai Indian tribe, it
was unveiled March 20, 2007, and opened to
the general public on March 28, 2007. It is
accessed via the Grand Canyon West terminal
or 120 miles (190 km) drive from Las Vegas
(which includes an unpaved and bumpy
14 miles (23 km) stretch). A walk on the
skywalk is available for a twenty five dollar
admission fee, payable to the Hualapai Indian
tribe at the Skywalk itself.
Fast Facts:
• Skywalk protrudes 20 meters (65 ft) beyond
The horseshoe-shaped glass walkway, at a
the edge of the canyon.
1,200 meter (4,000 ft) height above the floor of • The walls and floor are built from glass 10.2
the canyon exceeds those of the world's
cm (4 inches) thick.
largest skyscrapers. The elevation at the
•Skywalk is capable of holding 70 tons of weight
Skywalk's location is 1454 m (4,770 ft).
• Building costs were approx. $40 million.
10 Things You Should Never Do At Work
From the e-mails we “forget” to return to the voice mails we “never
received,” telling little white lies has become a very real part of our
workplace routine. To avoid a serious faux pas – and possible
career sabotage – stay clear of the following 10 workplace sins:
1. Stealing
Whether you think that the company “owes” you
things like Post-its, pens and other office supplies,
or you simply don’t think it’s a big deal, you should
be sure about that in case your boss or co-worker
catches you. Stealing can not only get you fired,
it’s illegal.
2. Blaming someone else for your mistake
It’s dishonest, childish and tacky. Very
tacky. Sure, having to admit you made a mistake
is embarrassing, but not nearly as embarrassing
as it would be to have to admit you lied about it or
tried to cover it up.
Continued on next slide
10 Things You Should Never Do At Work (cont.)
3. Spreading gossip
Who knows why people get a certain high
from hearing juicy gossip. Many of us are
guilty of passing along at least a few rumors
at times, but the more you can avoid doing
so, the better off you will be. Try to avoid it.
In addition, if you hear it, don’t repeat it.
4. Calling in sick when you are perfectly
healthy …
If you wake up and just cannot face the idea of
going in to work, there’s no reason (unless this
happens every day) you shouldn’t give yourself
a vacation, personal or mental health day.
Nevertheless, calling in sick is not only
irresponsible and insensitive to the co-workers
who have to cover for you, it could also be
grounds for firing if you’re caught.
Continued on next slide
10 Things You Should Never Do At Work (cont.)
5. … Or showing up when you aren’t
The admiration your co-workers show you for coming in to work despite having
the flu will be short-lived: It won’t take long for those around you to tire of
hearing hacking, sniffling and coughing coming from your desk, nor will they
appreciate being exposed to your germs.
6. Abusing office technology
This includes (but is not limited to): spending a significant amount of time on
personal phone calls, e-mails or instant messages; using office time to type
and print out the pieces of your screenplay; going online to catch up on last
night’s episode of “My Life on the D List”; and using the office printer to make
the invites to your holiday party.
7. Involving co-workers in your personal
problems
If problems at home are distracting you from
doing your job, that’s one thing, which you
should take up with the boss or human
resources. But involving your co-workers in
your personal problems is distracting and
unprofessional.
Continued on next slide
10 Things You Should Never Do At Work (cont.)
8. Getting too comfortable
Dressing professionally is just as important as behaving professionally in the
workplace. No matter how long you’ve been with the company, how “cool” your
boss is, how much sleep you got the night before, or how cold or hot it is
outside, you should always maintain a clean, workplace-appropriate
appearance. Even if you work in a relatively casual office, you should still
make the effort to wear clean clothes and have well-groomed hair. A good rule
of thumb is to never dress better than your boss, nor worse.
9. Hitting on your boss
This one has “Lifetime movie” written all
over it. For every successful office
romance story, there’s a disaster story to
match it. When co-workers hook up, it
always makes for a tricky situation; when
one worker is subordinate to the other,
the stakes get even higher. Unless you
are well aware of your employer’s policy
regarding office romances and are
prepared for the possibility of rejection,
avoid this one altogether.
10. Hitting on your employee
Consider all of the above, and add to that a
possible sexual harassment suit.
http://msn.careerbuilder.com
Health Galore
February 2008
Diet Tips for Eating Out
http://www.leviticus11.com/htip.htm
You don’t have to spend hours cooking to eat right. Even take-out and other
convenience foods can be healthy if you follow these simple guidelines.
*When you are eating out at a restaurant, eat only half of the main course, box it up, and have
it for lunch the next day. This is good for your waistline and good for your pocketbook.
*When you are eating out at an Asian restaurant, ask if they have brown rice (some do). They
may charge an extra $1.00 but think of it as investing in good health. Always ask for extra
veggies and see if fried items can be steamed.
*If Mexican food is your delight, skip the chips and the fried entrees. Fajitas offer a great food
choice and you can control the portions.
*For Italian lovers, skip the pizza and avoid entrees with heavy cream sauces like fettuccini
alfredo. Instead, settle for entrees with marinara or clam sauces like chicken catchatori.
*If you are away from home and eating out daily, think about ordering Caesar salad or
another style salad with grilled chicken or salmon. It's very filling, low in calories, and tastes
great.
*Instead of ordering a drink filled with empty calories, just ask for water with lemon. This is
good for digestion and the server usually will keep your glass full during the meal.
Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Medium
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Food for Thought
Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray (www.foodnetwork.com)
“Spinach & Mushroom Lasagna Roll-Ups”
16 cremini caps, cleaned with a damp towel and finely chopped in food processor
1 small yellow-skinned onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons (2 turns around the pan) extra-virgin olive oil
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach,
defrosted and squeezed dry
Salt and pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg or the equivalent of freshly grated
2 cups part skim ricotta
8 curly edge lasagna noodles, cooked to al dente (12 to 14 min.)
1 cup fat free chicken broth
8 ounces Gorgonzola, crumbled
1/2 cup (3 turns around the pan) heavy cream
1 to 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella
Serving suggestions:
Steamed asparagus (2 small or 1 large bundle asparagus)
Broiled tomatoes (4 vine-ripe tomatoes)
In a medium skillet over moderate heat, saute mushrooms, chopped onions, and garlic in oil until mushrooms
give off their juices and darken and onions are tender, about 7 or 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; the
salt will help draw water out of the vegetables as they cook. Add dry chopped spinach to the pan and heat
through for 1 minute. Adjust seasonings with salt, pepper, and a little nutmeg. Add ricotta and stir into mixture to
heat cheese through, 1 minute longer. Remove pan from heat but leave in the warm skillet.
Heat broth in a small pan over moderate heat. Melt Gorgonzola into broth and bring liquid to a bubble. Stir in
cream and thicken sauce 2 minutes. Place cooked lasagna noodles on a large work surface or cutting board.
Spread lasagna noodles with a layer of spinach-mushroom filling. Roll up pasta and arrange the 8 bundles in a
shallow casserole dish. Pour warm sauce over roll-ups and top with mozzarella. Place casserole under broiler to
melt cheese. Serve with steamed asparagus and broiled tomatoes.