Rear Admiral Mark Heinrich was the final speaker hosted by the SELF Program this spring. He spoke at 7:00 AM on April 27 in Spahr Classroom. The experience was unlike any other we have had as Fellows. Rear Admiral Heinrich became commander of Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP) and 46th Chief of Supply Corps on July 22, 2011. Previously, he served as commander, NAVSUP Global Logistics Support headquartered in San Diego, CA. His presence was greeted with a posture of attention from all Fellows and the Navy representatives in attendance. The discussion was focused heavily on how KU was an integral part of the admiral’s life. He spoke of challenges he experienced with school, basketball games, and starting his family here in Lawrence. Students were interested in knowing what his daily activities as the leader of all Naval Supplies Systems include. The breadth of the work that he described was astonishing and perhaps the most important component was the capacity of information that is processed daily. Rear Admiral Heinrich’s visit was an educational, fun, and engaging conversation that gave the Fellows a new perspective of the work that our Navy is responsible for on a daily basis.
Rear Admiral Mark Heinrich was the final speaker hosted by the SELF Program this spring. He spoke at 7:00 AM on April 27 in Spahr Classroom. The experience was unlike any other we have had as Fellows. Rear Admiral Heinrich became commander of Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP) and 46th Chief of Supply Corps on July 22, 2011. Previously, he served as commander, NAVSUP Global Logistics Support headquartered in San Diego, CA. His presence was greeted with a posture of attention from all Fellows and the Navy representatives in attendance. The discussion was focused heavily on how KU was an integral part of the admiral’s life. He spoke of challenges he experienced with school, basketball games, and starting his family here in Lawrence. Students were interested in knowing what his daily activities as the leader of all Naval Supplies Systems include. The breadth of the work that he described was astonishing and perhaps the most important component was the capacity of information that is processed daily. Rear Admiral Heinrich’s visit was an educational, fun, and engaging conversation that gave the Fellows a new perspective of the work that our Navy is responsible for on a daily basis.
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Ronan Farrow, the youngest Special Adviser on Global Youth Issues in the US Department of State, spoke to the SELF Fellows on April 2 as a part of 2012 Into the Street week. At the age of 9 he scored perfectly on the SAT, and after graduating from Bard College at the age of 15, he immediately started making a difference in places with significant political challenges. His concern for shaping the youths of the world has led him to a variety of locations including European and Middle-eastern countries helping frustrated youth choose to take action as community leaders instead of as political/religious radicals. As the State Department continues to work with governments they hope to provide job training, mentoring, and legal discussions to curious youths. His hope is that smart diplomacy will be linked with a push for technology and that the use of technology will result in political and economic empowerment for women worldwide. Ronan Farrow is someone whom we hope to continue to see making a positive change for youths here
and abroad. Matt Fowler is a junior majoring in Civil Engineering from Fredonia, KS. He is involved with the KU Energy Club as the 2012 conference coordinator and is a member of the Wakeboarding Club. Here are a few things that the 2013 SELF class said about Matt:
"Matt has great leadership and communication skills. He facilitates a positive and effective working environment." "He is a great leader and has an ability to take charge and make meetings run better/smoother." "Fowler is always ready to go when we meet. He stays motivated and helps us all get things done!" Allyn Risley, KU School of Engineering alumnus and a School of Engineering Advisory Board member, came and spoke about his experiences at KU and later in the petroleum industry on Tuesday, November 15th, as part of the annual SELF Speaker Series. He began his career at ConocoPhillips and worked there for 32 years where he became an expert in Liquified Natural Gas. His knowledge of the oil industry was fascinating, and his stories were fun and entertaining. He currently works as president of LNGas. Risley has done great things for the School of Engineering and has clearly kept KU close to his heart.
The SELF Foundations Workshop occurred on January 12th and 13th. All SELF classes shared a meal, Thursday, January 12th, before the sophomores were excused to participate in the 2012 Leadership Challenge. Freshmen began the afternoon with a presentation from Dr. Perry Alexander of EECS. The juniors’ and seniors’ first activity of the workshop included a scavenger hunt, where teams incorporated important locations into clues for freshmen members to find. Fellows were then led to M2SEC, the new engineering research facility, and taken on a guided tour by employees of JE Dunn and Treanor Architects. The afternoon was completed with a presentation and discussion with Dr. Cory Berkland, a Chemical Engineering researcher and professor. The presentation discussed how to market your ideas and touched on Dr. Berkland’s journey into the engineering profession.
On Friday students gathered at the School of Engineering for an early breakfast and then split into their respective classes for a variety of activities. The freshmen class heard from Dr. Ron Barrett about Aerospace Engineering and then about bridge fatigue from Dr. Caroline Bennett and her CEAE graduate students. Then they visited the EcoHawks shop and heard from Dr. Chris Depcik of Mechanical Engineering. Juniors discussed their upcoming Capstone Project and its impact for the School of Engineering. Finally, seniors participated in a financial discussion from Melissa Cole, a Benefits Specialist at KU, and Leticia Gradington from Student Money Management Services at KU. After traveling to Shawnee for lunch at Eggtc., Fellows had the opportunity to visit Perceptive Software, a Kansas City- based software company. Students received advice for job-seekers from Perceptive human resources representatives. The workshop was concluded with several games of dodgeball: Perceptive vs SELF. Perceptive won every game. This year’s High School Design Competition was hosted on November 8th. Students competition had the choice of entering the main competition—Rock Hop Jayhawk—or a Lego Mindstorm Challenge. The students competing in Rock Hop Jayhawk had to build a device that would leap horizontally, vertically, and at an angle. Overall, there were 19 schools and more than 50 teams at the competition this year. Junior Hanna Cosgrove was the project leader for the Competition. Odessa High School took home the top prize at the Lego challenge. The top two teams at Rock Hop Jayhawk were from Maur Hill- Mount Academy and Lawrence High. Photo is courtesy of the Lawrence Journal-World.
Story from the Lawrence Journal-World Allyn Risley, President of LNGas and a 1972 KU School of Engineering graduate, will give personal reflections on engineering and business in the petroleum industry. His address, sponsored by the Self Engineering Leadership Fellows Program, is slated for 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 15, in the Spahr Engineering Classroom.
Conway Ekpo, KU School of Engineering alumnus, came and spoke about his experiences as a student and how it translated to his career as a lawyer in New York City. He began his career as an architectural engineer at Turner Construction, but after practicing for a few years in the business changed his focus to study law. He attended Rutgers University’s School of Law and began his career in New York City soon after graduating. The experiences and perspective that he shared were not only inspirational, but also shed light on the versatility of an engineering degree.
Erik Deddens, ‘13 The annual Flapjacks for Philanthropy event, this year completely organized and run by the SELF Fellows Class of 2013, took place on April 30th, 2011. The Class of 2013 decided to donate the money raised to Just Food, a local food bank. This organization was in need of a massive amount of funding to continue providing food to the Lawrence community. The event was a huge success. A total of $3,000 was raised. Thanks to everyone who supported and participated in this event. Ryan Poff, coordinator of the event, had this to say, “I want to thank all of the SELF Fellows for their hard work in making this event successful. Without you all, the event would not have run as smoothly. We raised a respectable amount of money to donate for a good cause. Thanks!”
- Ryan Poff, ‘13 |