27th DiBiFiLiTi brings 300+ for $4000

The 27th annual Drop it, Build it, Fly it, Launch it, Thrill it Engineering Competition was held Saturday, March 9 at the South Florida Science Museum. More then 300 kids from elementary to high school competed for $4,000 in cash prizes in five different design contests: built bridges, protection for eggs, paper airplanes, model rockets and roller coasters. The competition was judged by the Florida Engineering Society.

Cody Summerlin talking with Royal Palm Beach HS SECME students before the Launch It water rocket contest

Summerlin's rocket Osprey on the launch pad

Palm Beach Post: Engineering competition draws 300 to South Florida Science Museum
WLRN: U.S. Lags In Science & Tech Education, While Science Fairs Boom In Palm Beach County

National Engineers Week

At the Board of County Commissioners meeting on February 5, 2013, Commissioner Shelley Vana presented a proclamation to Florida Engineering Society President Jimmy Richie declaring February 17 to 23, 2013 as National Engineers Week in Palm Beach County, FL.

WHEREAS, National Engineers Week was established in 1951 to help increase public understanding of the engineering profession and to recognize those who professionally protect the public’s health, safety and welfare; and

WHEREAS, Engineers have used their scientific and technical knowledge and skills in creative and innovative ways to fulfill society's needs; and

WHEREAS, Engineers face the major technological challenges of our time—from rebuilding towns devastated by natural disasters to designing an information superhighway that will speed our country through the twenty-first century; and

WHEREAS, Engineers are encouraging our young math and science students to realize the practical power of their knowledge; and

WHEREAS, we will look more than ever to Engineers and their knowledge and skills to meet the challenges of the future; and

WHEREAS, we applaud the Engineers working in Palm Beach County for the significant contributions they make to enhance our local quality of life;

Now therefore, I, Shelley Vana, Chair of the Palm Beach County Commission, do proclaim February 17 – 23, 2013 National Engineers Week in Palm Beach County, Florida.

Drop It, Build It Engineering Competition 2012

Drop It, Build It, Fly It, Launch It, Thrill It 2013

Di-Bi-Fi-Li-Ti is a design competition for cash prizes challenges kids to build an unbreakable balsawood bridge, create the perfect carton to protect a raw egg from a 3-story drop, fold and fly the farthest-flung paper airplane, blast off the best water bottle rocket for max time airborne, and create a thrill-packed roller coaster. The South Florida Science Museum in partnership with the Florida Engineering Society provides a premiere out-of-school STEM competition to elementary, middle and high school students offering substantial cash prizes for the top four finishers in each of the five engineering categories:

1. Drop It: Design and build a shipping container that will prevent an uncooked egg from breaking when dropped from two successive heights, up to 50 feet.
2. Build It: Given a range of physical dimensions and using appropriate building materials, construct the lightest truss-frame bridge capable of supporting the greatest weight.
3. Fly It: Given a sheet of paper, design an airplane that will fly the longest distance.
4. Launch It: Construct a rocket propelled by “fuel” (12 ounces of water) and air compressed to 60 psi that will be launched at a predetermined angle to reach the maximum height and flight time possible.
5. Thrill It: Design a roller coaster to convey a marble or steel ball within designated parameters, so that it stays rolling the longest, is the most interesting to view and has a theme.

Enjoy a fun filled family day of science and engineering exploration on Saturday, March 9, 2013 from 8 AM to 3:30 PM. Students are responsible for their own transportation to and from the event.

More information is available online at http://www.sfsm.org/

Discover "E"

Our SECME engineering club recently hosted Mr. Jim Kunard, a professional civil engineer with 30 years’ experience ranging from power plant structures, high energy pipe stress analysis, and water management to parks, parking garages, fire stations, and libraries. Kunard is a past president of the Palm Beach chapter of the Florida Engineering Society and state chair of the society’s education outreach initiatives.

Kunard began his talk to our students by relating the practical applications of science, technology, engineering, and math to the world around us. He continued with a hands-on activity, making engineering fun by creating something cool: students built sections of a model suspension bridge, then connected their segments to see its full span. Kunard concluded his talk with examples and explanations of technical drawings.

20111019 FES Jim Kunard K'NEX
20111019 FES Jim Kunard and Seminole SECME KNEX
20111019 FES Jim Kunard vs Coach Batchelor

DiBiFiLiTi@25

The South Florida Science Museum and the Florida Engineering Society held the 25th annual engineering competition ‘Drop It, Build It, Fly It, Launch It, Thrill It’ on Saturday, April 16, 2011.

Di-Bi-Fi-Li-Ti is a design competition for cash prizes that challenges kids. Middle and high school students are invited to participate in the competition that enables them to learn about and use engineering principles through five design contests: build an unbreakable bridge, create a container protecting an egg in a three-story drop, fly the furthest flung paper airplane, launch a model rocket with longest time aloft, and construct a model roller coaster with a thrilling theme.

SRHS students showcased their skills, and congratulations are in order! SRHS SECME (Science, Engineering, Communication and Math Excellence) coaches Erich Landstrom and Ed Batchelor applaud the award winning performance of:

• Thrill It, First Place and $200: seniors Mark Blanar and Joe Pavicic for their “Collision Course” coaster, with a time of 28 sec


• Thrill It, Second Place and $100: freshmen Sam Smith and Cody Summerlin for their “Flight of the Bumblebee” coaster, with a time of 29.7 sec


• Drop it, Third Place and $50: senior Arnold Banner, with a 21.5 gram chicken egg container.

Drop It, Build It, Fly It, Launch It, Thrill It April 16th event

Who: elementary, middle, and high school students

What: 25th anniversary of the annual Drop It, Build It, Fly It, Launch It, Thrill It competition

When: Saturday April 16th

Where: South Florida Science Museum

Why: Students have the opportunity to compete for over $3,500 in cash and prizes

Fee: free to enter the contest & museum admission will be ½ price that day

Local vendors, Colleges & Universities will be in attendance.

It’s not too late to register and we look forward to you taking part in the event.

Details are located: http://www.sfsm.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=events.details&content_id=19

FES Speakers on Oct. 27: Edwin Tamang, Kevin Vickers and Jim Kunard

left to right: Kevin Vickers, Jim Kunard, and Edwin Tamang of the Florida Engineering Society
Edwin Tamang, the Outstanding Civil Engineering Analyst and Kevin Vikers, Engineering Analyst, Roadway Design at Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc., were the guest speaker for Seminole SECME on Wed., Oct. 27 at 3 PM. Tamang is an airport engineer, and provides services such as runway rehabilitation and taxiway design as part of an aviation team all around Florida. He is a recent graduate of California State Polytechnic University, in Pomona, CA, and volunteers on the scholarship committee of Florida Engineering Society, PBC chapter.

Top-Paid Majors Among College Class of 2010

CONTACT Andrea Koncz, ext.121, or Mimi Collins, ext. 119, 800.544.5272
E-MAIL akoncz[at]naceweb[dot]org
E-MAIL mcollins[at]naceweb[dot]org
DATE March 11, 2010
SUBJECT Top-Paid Majors Among College Class of 2010
BETHLEHEM, PA—Which college majors command the highest starting salaries?

Engineering majors dominate the list of top-paid bachelor’s degrees, according to a new report from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).

NACE’s Winter 2010 Salary Survey shows that engineering disciplines account for eight of the 10 most highly paid degrees.

The only non-engineering related degrees in the top 10 were computer science and information sciences and systems. (See Figure 1.)

Petroleum engineering earned the highest starting salary reported at the bachelor’s degree level—$86,220—more than one-and-one-half times the average starting salary reported for bachelor’s degree graduates as a whole ($48,351).

“While a variety of factors play a role in determining salaries, new graduates with degrees in the technical fields tend to benefit from their relatively low supply. There is more competition for their skills, driving up their salary offers,” says Marilyn Mackes, NACE executive director.

For example, petroleum engineering degrees account for less than 1 percent of all bachelor’s degrees conferred.

“Not every case is that extreme, but, in general, candidates with technical degrees have an advantage in the job market,” says Mackes.

Major	Average Salary Offer
Petroleum Engineering	$86,220
Chemical Engineering	$65,142
Mining & Mineral Engineering (incl. geological)	$64,552
Computer Science	$61,205
Computer Engineering	$60,879
Electrical/Electronics & Communications Engineering	$59,074
Mechanical Engineering	$58,392
Industrial/Manufacturing Engineering	$57,734
Aerospace/Aeronautical/Astronautical Engineering	$57,231
Information Sciences & Systems	$54,038
Source: Winter 2010 Salary Survey, National Association of Colleges and Employers. Data represent offers to bachelor’s degree candidates where 10 or more offers were reported.

About Salary Survey: Salary Survey is a quarterly report of starting salary offers to new college graduates in 70 disciplines at the bachelor's degree level. The survey compiles data from college and university career services offices nationwide. Salary Survey is issued in Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall, with the Fall issue serving as the year-end report.

About NACE: Since 1956, the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) has been the leading source of information about the employment of college graduates. For more information, visit www.naceweb.org.

DIt, BIt, FIt, LIt, TIt at SoFlSciMuse

The South Florida Science Museum and the Florida Engineering Society presented the annual engineering competition Drop It, Build It, Fly It, Launch It, Thrill It on Saturday, April 24, 2010. DiBiFiLiTi challenges students to build an unbreakable bridge, create a container to protect an egg from a 3-story drop, design the most aerodynamic paper airplane, blast off the ultimate water bottle rocket, and, NEW this year, construct an operational model roller coaster. Click here for more details. Hawk physics students from Seminole Ridge High School showcased their skills in “Drop It,” “Fly It” and “Thrill It.” Fizzix!

Diggin’ Dinosaurs: An Adventure Millions of Years in the Making

Discover many of the most feared terrestrial carnivores including the massive Giganotosaurus and other larger-than-life predators, like the Tyrannosaurus rex. Watch a Monolophosaurus attack and a Tuojiangosaurus fight for its life! Beware the Velociraptor guarding a clutch of eggs! This hands-on exhibit enables you to learn about dinosaurs by handling fossils, excavating a skeleton, or taking a turn at the Wheel of Dinosaur Misfortune.

On exhibit from January 16 through May 2, 2010 at the
South Florida Science Museum

Drop It, Build It, Launch It, Fly It, Thrill It

Saturday, April 24, 2010
The South Florida Science Museum and the Florida Engineering Society are proud to present the annual engineering competition that challenges students to build an unbreakable bridge, create a container to protect an egg from a 3-story drop, design the most aerodynamic paper airplane, blast off the ultimate water bottle rocket, and, NEW this year, design and build an operational roller coaster. Click here for more details and to register for the competition.

Engineer Your Life: a guide to engineering careers for high school girls!

http://engineeryourlife.org/

Engineer Your Life is a website guide to engineering careers for high school girls! Imagine what life would be like without pollution controls to preserve the environment, life-saving medical equipment, or low-cost building materials for fighting global poverty. All this takes engineering. In very real and concrete ways, women who become engineers save lives, prevent disease, reduce poverty, and protect our planet. Dream Big. Love what you do. Become an engineer.

Classroom to College to Career

On October 7, Jim Kunard, professional engineer and past president of the Florida Engineering Society's Palm Beach chapter, joined electrical engineer Shams Moghadam in a visit to our SECME club. They began their talk with a review of the technical drawings for the emergency generator building at school district HQ and brought it home by reviewing students’ technical drawings for the mousetrap-powered cars to compete in April's districtwide SECME Olympiad. Their demonstration of engineering expertise showed our Hawks a ‘flowchart’—from classroom to college to career—and emphasized the importance of engineering innovation to our everyday lives.
Jim Kunard
Shams Moghadam
Hawks
Our SECME chapter, sponsored by Mr. Erich Landstrom, provides many such opportunities for students to participate in hands-on activities that involve engineering problem solving techniques. The club provides not only a deeper understanding of the engineering profession but also a foundation for college-level engineering education.

K-12 Korner – Konnecting Engineers with Kids

The Florida Engineering Society (FES) is a 4000+ member organization representing the interests of engineers in Florida. The Palm Beach Chapter of the FES is getting more and more involved with bringing engineering into the classroom. The K-12 Committee has begun its activities for the new school year. The committee has already spoken to the SECME school-based staff and some opportunities have arisen (with more coming). Last year, the FES Palm Beach Chapter donated over 500 hours of time to the students of Palm Beach County. That is a TON of effort for which FES has every right to be proud. The gift of their time has such a huge positive impact. Any one who has volunteered knows how great that feeling can be.

One of the main purposes of the committee is to connect engineers with students in grades K-12 in order to:
(1) expose students to engineering achievements and the importance of engineering innovation to our everyday lives,
(2) provide opportunities for students to participate in hands-on programs that involve engineering problem solving techniques, and
(3) create opportunities for increasing involvement in activities and programs that provide a deeper understanding of the engineering profession and a foundation for college-level engineering education for those students who have the ability and the inclination.

Mr. Jim Kunard, PE (and past president of FES Palm Beach Chapter), and Shams Moghadam, P.E. (specifically, an electrical engineer), visited with Seminole SECME on Wednesday, October 7th. They began with the technical drawings for an emergency generator building for the School District of Palm Beach County, and brought it back around by reviewing our technical drawings for our SECME mousetrap powered cars. Their engineering expertise is helping Seminole SECME students make that connection between the classroom and a career!

E-Week Poster Contest "Leaders by Design"

Engineers Week 2010
February 14-20, 2010

The Palm Beach Chapter of the
Florida Engineering Society Presents
the 3rd Annual
E-WEEK POSTER CONTEST
“Leaders by Design”

Awards
Given per division*
1st Place Award—$50
2nd Place Award—$25
Overall winner along with parents will be special guests at the Engineers Week
Banquet and the winning entry will appear on the cover the banquet program

Judging
Based on Clarity of Message, Conveying the Theme, Attracting Attention, Artistic Merit and Neatness

For more information contact:
Olive Bailey, EI vicepresident[at]pbfes[dot]org
Jim Kunard, PE pastpresident[at]pbfes[dot]org

Deadline to submit all artwork is Friday, January 22nd and should be submitted to:
Jim Kunard, PE
Department of Facilities Services—Summit
By Interoffice Mail (Pony)

Rules and Entry Form
1. Posters should be no larger than 11" X 17" nor smaller than 8 ½” x 11”.
2. Media may be cut paper, poster paints, India ink, string, spatter work, charcoal drawings or any suitable art materials. Generally, crayons and colored pencils do not present well.
3. Annual theme must be on the poster: “Engineers, Leaders by Design.”
4. Name of student, name of school, mailing address of school, grade level of student, parent’s name and address should be typed or printed on a 3 X 5 card. This card should be attached on the back of the poster in lower right-hand corner.
5. Posters that do not meet all contest requirements will be eliminated.
6. All posters need to be received no later than January 22, 2010. Posters received after this date will not qualify.
7. Posters should not be laminated.
8. Posters MUST be the student’s original work, not computer generated.
Please complete this entry form and submit with your artwork


Visit the Palm Beach Chapter online at www.pbfes.org