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Rice Center for Engineering Leadership
Quarterly Update - Fall 2014
A Note from Kaz
Kaz Karwowski
Executive Director
 
It’s a new academic year, so we thought we would start with a new look!  A lot has happened since our last publication, and as you read further, you’ll see the Center and our students have achieved great results.
 
Our biggest story of the fall is the approval of RCEL’s Certificate in Engineering Leadership.  We were delighted when the Rice Faculty Senate unanimously approved our proposal establishing a formal certificate.  This was a great step forward for our students, and our Center.
 
From designing a Mobile City Hall for the City of Houston to coaching the 3rd Annual Engineering Liftoff, RCEL students are leading the way on Rice’s campus.  Our students are setting the pace for leadership development and are actively practicing their leadership skills both in the classroom and out.  It's an exciting time for RCEL, and we hope you enjoy our latest news!

It's OFFICIAL!

RCEL Leadership Certificate approved by Rice Faculty Senate
 
After more than three years of planning, assessment and research, the Rice Center for Engineering Leadership Certificate proposal was unanimously ratified by the Rice Faculty Senate on October 1, 2014. 

“RCEL is out front in bringing the first four-year Engineering Leadership Certificate to Texas and indeed the first certificate of any kind to be on a Rice transcript," said Edwin “Ned” Thomas, Dean of the Brown School of Engineering. 

“The Faculty Senate’s approval of our certificate was truly historical for our school," said Dr. David Niño of RCEL. "Our certificate is an educational innovation – a unique set of learning experiences that will strengthen our students’ abilities to leverage their education in the future. We know from research that it takes many years to develop into a capable leader and I think the longitudinal design of our program is one of its signature strengths. We have lots of work ahead of us, especially on assessment, but we are all very excited to see where this takes our students.”
3rd Annual Engineering Liftoff Another Success

"A recent hurricane has battered the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago.  You and your team are tasked with delivering humanitarian aid via air-drop." 

So began the challenge accepted by over 150 freshman and 40 upperclassmen coaches at the 3rd Annual RCEL Engineering "Liftoff" (Engineering Freshmen Orientation) on September 6, 2014 in the RMC Grand Hall.

"Speaking as a Rice alum, I am encouraged by the value the Liftoff adds to the Freshman experience," said Cesare Wright, RCEL lecturer.  "Within the first few weeks of class, students now have the opportunity to establish a sense of community that might otherwise take years to build, not only enhancing their time at Rice, but forming connections that can last a lifetime." 

Students also heard from several guest speakers at the event, including a keynote address from NASA Director of Engineering Lauri Hansen.  Inspiring messages were also delivered by  three RCEL seniors - Melissa Yuan, Lindsey Witte, and Nimish Patel. Dean Ned Thomas closed out the event with some rousing takeaways.
In the Classroom
RCEL Students tackle Leadership Reaction Course
 
As part of RCEL's ENGI 218 "Leadership Lab", 40 eager students traveled to College Station to take on the Leadership Reaction Course in College Station - a course designed to challenge teams to work together in solving six different engineering challenges.  
 
Students had to draw on team-building, reflection and engineering skills they’ve learned in class, while doing something physically and mentally challenging. The takeaway was the value of planning, communication and real teamwork.
 
"Seasoned" upperclass coaches followed each team through the challenges, providing encouragement and feedback.  
 
For additional information:
Reaction course focuses on leadership
 
Communicating an Inspiring Vision

RCEL students were challenged to step out of their comfort zones in order to create and communicate an inspiring vision in ENGI 315. This fall, students were given a case study based on a real engineering situation and had to assume the role of a young leader who needs to create and deliver an inspiring, "turn around" speech, motivating their team to deliver much needed results.

"Communicating a vision is a difficult but crucial skill," said Dr. David Niño, ENGI 315 Instructor.  "This case represents the most challenging moment in a young engineering leader's career.  It's important for any engineer who is leading a team.  Exposing our students to the practice and giving them feedback is a great way to prepare them."


One week before final presentations, students had the opportunity to practice their speeches with Drs. David Niño, David Van Kleeck and Beata Krupa, all RCEL instructors, who gave feedback on the content and strength of their visions.  The speeches were recorded and students recieved a video link to evaluate themselves.
 
"Initially, some students had a great message, but not the voice to back it up," said Dr. Van Kleeck.  "Some had the presence and delivery, but not a strong enough vision.  We saw great improvements in the final presentations."
 
"Our students are often surprised at how challenging this can be," added Dr. Niño.  "The course provides them with lots of instruction and support to prepare them to meet these challenges in real life."


 
ENGI 241: A Game-Changing Internship Course
 
ENGI 241, a new internship course for RCEL students, offered in Summer 2014, is the first of its kind at Rice, focusing specifically on the practice and acquisition of leadership skills in an applied context.  The curriculum is designed to provide guided career and professional development for engineering students in industrial, academic, research, or other working environments.  

RCEL faculty consult with prospective employers throughout the internship to ensure that students receive specific experiences: guided mentorship, meetings/interview sessions with senior company leaders, and a leadership role on a project or component of a project. Students also attend an academic workshop on professional best practices, workplace etiquette, and other internship related topics.

Working collaboratively with the Center for Career Development and the Dean’s Office, the goal is to establish ENGI 241 as the gold standard of internship experiences at Rice.  For the Summer 2014 term, placements were secured for 100% of the RCEL Certificate students who were actively seeking internships.
 
Graduate Communications Seminar: Two Sections available for Spring 2015

In Spring 2015, RCEL will offer two sections of the popular ENGI 600:  Graduate Communications Seminar.  Limited to grad students in engineering who are actively writing a paper for publication, an extended PhD proposal, or a thesis (Master’s or PhD), this highly interactive course includes written and oral work directly related to each student’s research.  

Because of the incredible personalization of the course to the individual student, each section is limited to 14 students.  To earn a Satisfactory grade, by semester end students must complete one of the following:  paper for publication, extended PhD proposal, or thesis chapter.    All work in class is designed to meet this goal.

Course is available By Permission of Instructor, Dr. Jan Hewitt, jhewitt@rice.edu.  Apply now!
 
Internship Spotlight:  City of Houston Mobile City Hall
Students complete a unique service plan for
the Department of Neighborhoods
 
As a follow-up to RCEL's 2012 Internship partnership with the City of Houston, a group of six current Certificate students collaborated with the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhoods and Education to envision, design, and engineer a highly innovative Mobile City Hall vehicle over the 2014 Summer break.
 
“With a population of over two million residents, the City of Houston requires an extensive network of services and resources to meet peoples’ needs," read the Mobile City Hall Intern Team initial report. "City Hall... has the potential of providing hundreds, if not thousands, of services.... though not enough publicity is generated and many [services] remain under-utilized by the Houston community.”

The Rice team developed a Mobile City Hall truck with a goal of bridging the gap between residents and government by bringing city services to residents.  Students conducted preliminary fieldwork, including constituent interviews and a function use assessment of community needs.

After securing the transfer of a decommissioned Houston Police Department vehicle, the interns partnered with Microsoft to conceptualize a tech infrastructure using an accurate-to-scale 3D computer model of the truck and produced a physical prototype, as well as a complete specification and design report for implementation of the physical build and retrofit.
Andrew Elsey accepted to Microsoft Students Program, named Rice University Microsoft Representative

RCEL student Andrew Elsey (sophomore, Mechanical Engineering), was accepted to the prestigious Microsoft Student Partners program and is now the Rice campus representative for Microsoft. A great example of initiative, Andrew took on the City of Houston Department of Neighborhoods (DON) Design Engineer Internship as a freshman, then followed up on the MSP connection to secure this great opportunity. Way to go Andrew!
Entrepreneurship:  OwlSpark Update
 
OwlSpark 2014 was made up of eight teams representing IT, medical, consumer products and sports, and education/social enterprise.  The "startups" showcased their business models at the Bayou Startup Showcase in mid-August (powered by Rice University OwlSpark and University of Houston's RED Labs), to an impressive audience of successful entrepreneurs, business executives, mentors, and investors.  

One OwlSpark startup, Big Delta Systems, went on to compete in this year's Goradia Innovation Prize competition sponsored by the Houston Technology Center (HTC), winning the $35,000 First Prize.  The company is pursuing technologies based on paintable batteries developed in the Rice lab of chemist Pulickel Ajayan.  Big Delta continues to function as an early-stage venture in Houston, and has three core patents pending.

Two additional Rice startups competed in Goradia.  NanoLinea, spun out of the research lab of Rice Chemical Engineering Professor Matteo Pasquali, won the $50,000 grand prize. A-76 Technologies, received an honorable mention and $5,000 for the commercialization of a corrosion inhibitor and lubricant technology developed in the lab of chemist James Tour. 
RCEL Events
SCREECH:  Breakthrough Research at Breakneck Pace

The third Annual SCREECH Graduate Research Pitch competition was held in Duncan Hall on October 30, 2014.  Representing nine different departments, 27 students were tasked with creating and delivering concise, 90 second pitches of their current research.

In preparation for the event, participants met for one-on-one coaching with RCEL staff  Dr. Jan Hewitt and Dr. Beata Krupa, who helped the students explain their complex research in a comprehensive and understandable way, as well as understood how to deliver their speech professionally and within the time limits.

For additional information:
SCREECH highlights grad student research
 
KPCB Fellowship:  Application Workshop
 

RCEL and the School of Engineering hosted a workshop/information session for over 30 students interested in applying for the Summer 2015 Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers Fellowship in Silicon Valley.  The 2014 Fellows, Kyle Adams (Sr., Computer Science) and Derek Peirce (Jr., Computer Science) discussed their experiences and gave tips for completing the application process.  Matt Barnett,   Research Application Developer in Computer Sciences, gave students tips to improve their technical resumes for the initial application.  Finally, Jesse Hendrix,  Assistant Director for Leadership Rice, offered advice on interviewing, including in-person, telephone and Skype.
For additional information:
KPCB Fellows program: An internship to remember



 


Being Strategic about Finding Engineering Internships Workshop

On September 4, RCEL gave over 100 students the opportunity to learn about finding and earning internships, and being proactive once they have secured a position.  

RCEL's Dr. David Van Kleeck, who spent over 34 years with Shell Global before joining RCEl, sat on a panel of industry professionals that included Paul DeCarlo of Microsoft and Wendy Hoenig, President of H&H Business Development, LLC.  A student panel of Engineering 241 students, including Julia Hossu (senior in computer science), and Rebecca Lam and Ryan McKnight (seniors in mechanical engineering) also shared their recent internship experiences.


For additional information:
RCEL event focuses on internships
Welcome to our New Hires!
RCEL adds three to growing staff
Dr. David Van Kleeck, Ph.D.
Leadership Specialist, Lecturer

David Van Kleeck joined RCEL in August following a 34 year career as a Technologist and Manager in Shell’s research and development organization. He was active in Shell’s recruiting efforts for over fourteen years as a campus interviewer (Princeton, MIT, University of Houston, Rice) and had a parallel career in the Army Reserve, retiring after 32 years of active and reserve service in 2005 as a Brigadier General.  He returns to Rice after receiving his Ph.D. here in Chemical Engineering in 1981.  See also:   Van Kleeck joins RCEL
Dr. Beata Krupa, Ph.D.
Lecturer, Professional Communications

Beata Krupa joined RCEL in August as Lecturer in Professional and Engineering Communication. She has over ten years of experience teaching professional communication, as well as coaching students in public speaking and presentation skills. Dr. Krupa has taught undergraduate, graduate and Ph.D. level communication courses at the Rice Jones Graduate School of Business, Jones International University, New York University, and College of New Rochelle.  
Amanda Prestia  
Marketing and Events Specialist 

Amanda Prestia came to RCEL in September, bringing five years of marketing and promotional experience. Prior to joining RCEL, Amanda worked in the AEC industry as the Marketing Director for Project Control, a construction program management firm headquartered in San Antonio, as well as the firm’s sports division, PC Sports. 
From Fruit Shed to Fortune 500
RCEL Hosts Author Katherine Maxfield

Date: November 13, 2014
Presentation begins at 6:30pm
Location: Duncan Hall
 
Decades before Facebook, years before Apple, four young men were designing “the world’s toughest computer” in a prune-drying shed in Santa Clara County, California.  From those designs, ROLM Corporation was born, and the landscape of Silicon Valley began to emerge.

Please join us for a special RCEL event with author Katherine Maxfield.  Mrs. Maxfield will give a reading from her book, Starting Up Silicon Valley:  How ROLM Became a Cultural Icon and Fortune 500 Company,  and share reflections of this game-changing company and the founders (and Rice graduates) who become early influencers of Silicon Valley.

Hard cover books will be available for purchase at the event for $20 with all proceeds going to benefit the Rice Center for Engineering Leadership.
6th Annual Undergraduate Elevator Pitch Competition

Date: November 6, 2014
Time: 4:30 - 7:30pm
Location: Shell Auditorium - Jones School

The 6th Annual Undergraduate Elevator Pitch Competition invites teams or individuals to present 90-second pitches for a business concept or idea. The pitches will describe their designs, the problem or need being solved, the competitive advantages, and the commercial potential of the venture.  The competition is open to all Rice undergraduates, and entries may be at any stage of development.  More information here.
Checking in with RCEL Alumni

Adrian Yao '14
Materials Science and Engineering

What are you up to?
I'm a co-founder of Big Delta Systems, a startup commercializing a new spray-based additive manufacturing technique for making lithium-ion batteries that can be in any shape, size, and flexibility. The company went through the OwlSpark Startup Accelerator Program over the summer of 2014, and we have already raised a combination of angel and non-dilutive funding.

Our apartments in the Montrose area are the temporary headquarters, and it's an exciting experience full of non-stop learning as we live, breathe, and sleep in the mindset of the startup.

Biggest Lesson from RCEL?
The ability to communicate effectively - from public pitches to private conversations - especially when there is a need to break down technical information to be digestible for laymen. 

Contact Adrian
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