Originally published in the Spring 2012 edition of Innovation magazine.

Whether it’s as HR manager at Toyota Financial Services or president of the Purdue Black Alumni Organization (PBAO), Candice Nash has found that her Purdue classes and experiences prepared her for a wide variety of challenges.

Nash, who earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in organizational leadership and supervision, was recently elected for her second term as PBAO president. She sees her role as connecting current students and alumni, as well as being a voice for all underrepresented Purdue constituents.

“A strategic initiative of PBAO is to bridge the gap between students and alumni. We host a student rap session once a semester,” Nash said. “We get students involved, they understand who we are and they hear from the leaders.”

While she motivates current students, she must also work to make sure PBAO provides a good experience to its volunteers. Nash tries to identify their passions and then place them on committees that fit with them. Her passion is giving back.

“My mother instilled a pretty strong value of reaching back and giving back. It’s so important to remember that you have a voice and that you are always giving back in some capacity,” she said. “My time at Purdue was a good time in my life. I wanted to give back and impact students the way that I was impacted.”

Impact for Nash came in the form of supportive professors, beneficial extracurricular activities and relevant curriculum. She learned several lessons about leadership as a resident assistant and on the student government appeals board. These were supplemented by class assignments and discussions.

“Those were kind of the building blocks to what I do now in my life. The OLS program really helped me interact with people and connect the dots between theory and practical application,” Nash said. “I liked that the professors had industry experience. I learned how to deal with and interact with all types of people from all walks of life. Being an RA put that into practice.”

As a human resource manager for Toyota Financial Services in Chicago, Nash relies on this background to do her job. She provides HR support to 12 offices across the Midwest. She provides consultation and coaching, and she helps them understand company policies and procedures. The company also relies on her office to keep abreast of local, state and federal laws that affect employment issues.

Throughout her life, Nash has found that the plans she makes for herself rarely match the reality of her life. She is thankful to have taken advantage of opportunities she couldn’t have planned for. And that’s what she wishes for today’s college students who are facing stressful decisions about their future.

“Life lessons are the most important,” she said. “We have so much technology that we expect things right now. It’s really important for people to pause, to have a plan and a thought process and not to get set back when things don’t work out the way they think they should.”

Award recipients were:

Faculty Awards:

• James G. Dwyer Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching: Brad Benhart, building construction management. He was also honored as one of six recipients of the 2012 Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Awards in Memory of Charles B. Murphy.
  Departmental nominees: Tom Carney (AT), Ray Hassan (CGT), Eric Matson (CIT), Dan Lybrook (TLI)
• Outstanding Discovery Award: Bedrich Benes, computer graphics technology
  Departmental nominees: Dave Stanley (AT), Kirk Alter (BCM), John Springer (CIT), Jeff Evans (ECET), Jenny Daugherty (TLI)
• Outstanding Engagement Award: Denver Lopp, aviation technology
  Departmental nominees: Brad Benhart (BCM), Eric Dietz (CIT), Gene Harding (ECET), Andy Schaffer (TLI)
• Outstanding Learning Award: Donald Petrin, aviation technology
  Departmental nominees: Bryan Hubbard (BCM), Pat Connolly (CGT), Dawn Laux (CIT), John Denton (ECET), Bill Krug (TLI)
• John P. Lisack Award for Early Career Engagement: Haiyan “Henry” Zhang, mechanical engineering technology

Staff Awards:

• Academic Advisor: Rose Delong-Bolyard, lead academic advisor, aviation technology
• Customer Service: Devona Gangwer, administrative assistant for the associate dean for academic affairs and diversity
• Leadership: Vanessa Buntin, manager of special events and alumni relations
• Statewide Excellence: Matthew Ferrell, learning systems coordinator, College of Technology at Indianapolis

Staff service anniversaries:

• 10 years: Beth Helton, administrative assistant for the Office of Advancement; Jill Kelley, secretary, College of Technology at Columbus; Valorie Moorman, student services coordinator, College of Technology at Greensburg; Kathy Reel, secretary, College of Technology at Kokomo
• 15 years: Matthew Ferrell, learning systems coordinator, College of Technology at Indianapolis ; Patti Keen, flight operations dispatcher, Department of Aviation Technology; T.R. O’neal, academic advisor, Department of Computer Graphics Technology; Mike Swain, student services coordinator, College of Technology at Richmond
• 25 years: Fred Campbell, electronics technician, College of Technology at Columbus; Mark Hopkins, director of quality control, Department of Aviation Technology; Matt Johnson, building deputy and AET technician, Department of Aviation Technology

Student Awards:

• Undergraduate: Benjamin Doll, CIT
• Graduate: Christopher Brock, AT

University awards

• 2012 Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Awards in Memory of Charles B. Murphy: Brad Benhart, building management and construction technology (read a profile on Benhart)
• Continuing Education’s Award for Excellence in Distance Learning: Erin Bowen, technology leadership and innovation
• Fellowship for Study in a Second Discipline (2012-13): Nicoletta Adamo-Villani, computer graphics technology
• Outstanding Commercialization Award: Lonnie Bentley, computer information technology

Faculty service recognition awards

• 30 years: Zarjon Baha, building construction management; Bruce Harding, mechanical engineering technology; Alka Harriger, computer and information technology
• 25 years: Terry Burton, computer graphics technology; John Denton, electrical and computer engineering technology; Nancy Denton, mechanical engineering technology; Philip Mick, aviation technology; Anthony Oxtoby, electrical and computer engineering technology; JoDell Steuver, technology leadership & innovation (Columbus); Michele Summers, technology leadership & innovation (Lafayette)
• 20 years: Brian Alenskis, mechanical engineering technology (Richmond); Thomas Capozzoli, technology leadership & innovation (Kokomo); Terrence O’Connor, electrical and computer engineering technology (New Albany); Matthew Stephens, technology leadership & innovation; Kevin Taylor, electrical and computer engineering technology (Kokomo); J. Mark Thom, aviation technology; Bernard Wulle, aviation technology
• 15 years: Clark Cory, computer graphics technology; John Finnegan, computer graphics technology (New Albany); Michael Leasure, aviation technology; Julie Mariga, computer and information technology
• 10 years: Nicoletta Adamo-Villani, computer graphics technology; Dennis Depew, technology leadership & innovation; Ronald Glotzbach, computer graphics technology; Mark Shaurette, building construction management

The ceremonies and their student speakers are:

• College of Technology at Richmond and Anderson: Friday, May 4, 6:30 p.m.; Danylle Harman, organizational leadership and supervision, student speaker
• College of Technology at Lafayette, Saturday, May 5, 2:00 p.m.; Michael Smith, organizational leadership and supervision, student speaker
• College of Technology at South Bend, Monday, May 7, 6:00 p.m.; Kevin Miller, engineering technology, student speaker
• College of Technology at Columbus and Greensburg, Tuesday, May 8, 6:00 p.m.; Jacob Rutan, computer and information technology, student speaker
• College of Technology at Kokomo, Wednesday, May 9, 6:00 p.m.; Tyler Imbierowicz, computer and information technology, student speaker
• College of Technology at Vincennes, Thursday, May 10, 11:30 a.m.; Vance Perry, industrial technology, student speaker
• College of Technology at New Albany, Thursday, May 10, 6:00 p.m.; Munkhtsetseg Nandigjav, computer graphics technology, student speaker
• College of Technology at West Lafayette and Indianapolis, Saturday, May 12, 9:30 a.m.; Ellen Zouras, building construction management, student speaker. A posthumous bachelor of science degree will be awarded to Timothy D. Patterson, a former student in the College of Technology.

This is the second year I lent my judging services to the annual Undergraduate Research Poster Symposium (April 10), featuring student research from the colleges of Technology, Science, Engineering and Agriculture.

It’s the first year, however, that I decided to visit every poster created by a College of Technology student. I’m so glad I did. The students who were able to share their research in person were engaging, excited by their projects, and, most important, working to solve problems big and small (see bolded items throughout).

Four of the CoT posters won awards.

The College of Technology Dean’s Award winner was “Modeling by Design” by Hilde Thayer, who is majoring in engineering/technology teacher education. As a research assistant to Nathan Mentzer, assistant professor in the program, she is helping identify the different ways high school students model design projects. Results of the study will help teachers understand their students better and help them craft better teaching methods to take advantage of the modeling techniques students use.

A four-person team working on improving construction safety won the College of Technology Student Award. Jeremiah D. Miller, Manuel Campos, David Foreman, Matthew Huff presented “Solutions in Construction Management Safety Applications.” These computer graphics technology students are working on a mobile app that will help construction workers track safety protocols and efforts at the work site.

Another four-person team won second place in the Innovative Technology/Entrepreneurship and Design category with their work on “Development for Construction Graphics Center.” The team — computer graphics technology students Katie Gentry, Laura Sutter, Kaylee Oliver and Wesley Young — is researching the computer-modeling needs of the construction industry. Their final report will provide the foundation for a possible University center for building information modeling (BIM).

Adam Landers won third place in the Innovative Technology/Entrepreneurship and Design category for his poster titled “Research and Development of Testing Methodology for Use in Preparation of an ASTM Guidance Material and Support of Alternative Aviation Gasoline Acceptance.” As an undergraduate researcher for Purdue’s National Test Facility for Aerospace Fuels and Propulsion (NaTeF), Landers is creating ways to test non-petroleum aviation fuels without using them in engines. He will present his findings to the American Society of Test and Measurement this summer, where he hopes to influence the creation of new fuel testing specifications.

I can’t write extensively about all of the other 14 posters, but here is an overview of what I gleaned from my 90 minutes of talking with today’s problem solvers.

• “Epiphany Link: Connecting entrepreneurs and skilled professionals together to create innovative business solutions through an online networking site,” by computer graphics technology students Christina Caldwell, Hwee Sann Choo, Derek Hill and Spencer Wolf. The team is working with a sponsor to create a social media networking site for entrepreneurs: StartupTeamBuilder.com.
• “Eastern Indian Information Kiosk,” by computer graphics technology students Jennifer M. Maxwell, Laura West, Becca Bogusz and Eric Kaiser. They are designing an energy-efficient information kiosk for residents of eastern India.
• “Novel Ink,” by computer graphics technology students Duskie Rowland, Nick Hamby, Tracie Borror, Matt Amos and Joe Kapusta. The team is researching the most effective way to display a large amount of text on electronic devices for user enjoyment and information retention.
• “Comparative Analysis Between Fish Tank Virtual Reality and Stereoscopic 3D,” by computer graphics technology students Joshua McCollum, Stephanie Malek, Eric Wright, Matthew Sackley and Kelly Fan. Using a qualitative research method, this study aims to validate fish tank virtual reality as a possible alternative to stereoscopic methods.
• “Ovation LLC” by computer graphics technology students Brian Fu, Lauren Corley, Nicholas Jacobs and Pearl Kuo. The students are working on a video marketing campaign to help their department celebrate its 20th anniversary.
• “Beyond Code,” by computer graphics technology students Amy N. Hoag, Ethan Wolfe, Cole Went, Zack Meredith, and Jow Wilcox. They are working with a construction company to translate their PowerPoint safety training into more engaging animation with hopes of proving that it is more effective.
• “GPU Raytracer” by computer graphics technology students Joe Ferfecki, Grant Windes, Kayla Steckel and Andrew Kennedy. The group is exploring the viability of an interactive GPU ray tracer in a 3-D production environment.
• “Evaluating the Effect of Using 3D Task Cards on a Mobile Platform in Aviation Maintenance,”  by computer graphics technology students Patrick McGuire, Nate Christopher, John Pourcho and Shawn Ruemler. The students are creating a prototype of 3-D product definition task cards for aviation maintentance workers increase their efficiency, accuracy, and mental workload.
• “Web and crowd funding methods in physical therapy video game development,” by computer graphics technology students Juan Carlos Orendain, Joshua Balcitis, Dalonte Keemer, Matthew Wilson. The group researched the best ways to fund-raise through online crowd-sourcing.
• “The Use of Digital Data Analysis in Flight Training,” by aviation management students David S. Turek and Jonathan Reed. To better train pilots in simulators, the students are collecting digital data from real flights and downloading the information into a flight simulator program to recreate the flight.
• “O-Ring Leakage Study for AircaftSythetic and Bio-Synthetic Fuels Development,” by aeronautical engineering technology students Rex Pan, Nathan Kaney and Tim Jeffery. The students have created an O-ring testing fixture to identify interactions between alternative fuels and aircraft seal materials.
• “Assessing performance in a high-technology, high-risk environment: A user perspective,” by aviation management student Clay Wildt. He is working to collect opinions of frequent travelers related to airline quality to identify attitudinal patterns. This information will be compared to the National Airline Quality Rating.
• “Human/User-Centered Design,” by Lisa Beckwith and Cameron Nunan, engineering/technology teacher education majors. The goal of their study is to understand how high school students use the human centered design process during an engineering design challenge.

Purdue University airline expert Erin Bowen said passengers’ perception of their air travel experience has declined for four years, a period in which industry statistics have improved annually.

“Airlines are doing a poor job of conveying quality performance and improvements in areas such as on-time arrival rates to passengers,” said Bowen, a professor of technology leadership and innovation in the College of Technology. “Airlines like Southwest who push a service-oriented message continue to score highest in passenger friendliness for consumers.”

Read the full news release.

A longtime Blackboard Vista user, Professor Dan Lybrook was eager to be one of the instructors testing the new Blackboard Learn, and he’s finding that he’s glad he did. He’s finding that his students are glad he did, too.

Instructors will need to begin using Blackboard Learn for their classes by January 2013, but like Lybrook, many are working on converting courses now and for the fall semester.

Read the full story from ITaP.

Kimie Bates and Patrick Caldwell, sophomores majoring in organizational leadership and supervision (OLS), attended the Hatton W. Sumners Student Leadership Conference in February.

Hosted by the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin, the conference is the destination for four Purdue students every year. Two are OLS majors and two are communications majors. The OLS students are selected by faculty members.

“It was not only to hear from distinguished leaders but also to find out about yourself and your strengths,” Bates said.

They each took a strengths-based test, which identified the leadership strengths they can bring to a team or project. While neither had taken the test before, it reinforced their own ideas about their strengths. Both agreed that the conference helped them understand how to utilize their strengths in relationship with others.

“I have an internship with the Indiana Golf Foundation this summer,” Caldwell said. “My identified strengths – responsibility, honesty, consistency and achiever — will be useful.”

Bates knows that her strengths in relationships will benefit her in her second consecutive summer internship with Cummins Inc. She’ll work with the recruitment and leadership development teams.

Other topics they discussed in-depth included ethics and integrity, leadership across generations, and how leaders acquire and use power.

They will also get to share their experiences with the Organizational Leadership and Supervision Industrial Advisory Board in April.

Bates, from Terre Haute, Ind., works on campus as a secretary in Armstrong Hall, serves on the OLS student advisory board, and drag races in her free time.

Caldwell, from Liberty, Ind., is the social committee head for Purdue’s HORIZONS Student Support Program, serves on the OLS student advisory board, and is a student manager for the men’s basketball team.

Faculty who received funding (all are principal investigators unless otherwise noted) were:

• Melissa Dark, Computer and Information Technology, IPA between Purdue and NSA/ADET, Center for CNO, Cyber and Information Assurance, National Security Agency, $38,620
• Tom Hacker (Co-PI), Workshop Focusing on Global Policies for Infrastructure Monitoring & Management: A Paradigm Shift in Lifecycle Cost & Optimization of Resources, Purdue University, $1,000
• Nathan Hartman, Computer Graphics Technology, Product Lifecycle Management Center of Excellence (PLM), General Motors Foundation, $15,000
• Alejandra Magana, Computer and Information Technology, Research Initiation Grant: Integrating Computation into the Materials Science and Engineering Core, Johns Hopkins University, $37,900
• Vahid Motevalli, Mechanical Engineering Technology,  Center for Technology Development Consortium membership, Multi-Sponsored Industrials, $50,000
• Edie Schmidt, Industrial Technology, True Flex, Tru-Flex LLC, $20,000
• Henry Zhang, Mechanical Engineering Technology, Allison-Purdue Projects: Allison 4000 Series Modeling for Software In Loop (SIL), Allison Transmission, $44,634

The amounts listed are disbursements in a specific month and may not reflect the entire amount of a project’s funding.

Students and faculty provide insights into the College of Technology and its majors in a new video posted to the college’s YouTube channel this month.

Created primarily with prospective students in mind, the video provides an overview of the college’s academic programs, the types of careers students can expect after graduation, and personal insights from those who experience Technology every day. The video will be used by recruitment personnel as an introduction to the college and its programs.

“This video will serve as a great introduction to the college for students who are exploring their futures,” said Jason Mucher, director of communications for the college. “We hope this video answers some of the initial questions a prospective student may have about what technology is and what the College of Technology experience will be like.”

Watch the video.