Alexis Grimm, Class of 2015, is studying abroad in Denmark this semester. Stay up-to-date with all her adventures by reading the blog she started: rockchalkdenmark.blogspot.com! Just recently added, you can now find all of our alumni and student website on our page for Other Sites. |
Prominent donor and the namesake behind the SELF Engineering Leadership Fellow Program passed away Sunday at the age of 91. On behalf of the SELF Alumni, we would like to send out our heartfelt thanks, thoughts, and prayers to the Self Family. The gifts and opportunities that both Al and Lila bestowed upon the University of Kansas as well as the students is truly immeasureable. Many of the projects, trips, and involvements that have shaped many of our careers and lives were made possible only through the generosity of Al and Lila Self. He was truly a successful leader, forward thinker, proud Kansan and inspiration for so many of us. He will be missed.
A memorial service for Mr. Self will take place at 10 a.m. January 26th at Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home, 601 Indiana Street in Lawrence. Self is feature in the Lawrence Journal-World, KU Endowment Article, KSHB News, and the Chicago Tribune. SELF Fellows hosted the 2012 High School Design Competition in Eaton Hall, continuing its tradition of supporting engineering through the high school design competition at the University of Kansas. Read more about the event covered by the Lawrence Journal World here.
On September 29, the sophomore and junior SELF Fellows departed Lawrence for their annual retreat at Rock Springs 4-H Center near Junction City, Kan.
For the sophomores, the retreat was a team-building experience. Prior to the retreat, each member took a StrengthsQuest assessment to find out his or her individual strengths. At the retreat, the members discussed their strengths, then proceeded with a team-building ropes course, where they used each other’s strengths to accomplish tasks, including a trust fall, an "A" frame walk, and a telephone game. The purpose of the course was to reinforce the importance of communication, teamwork, and trust. While the sophomores were on the ropes course, the juniors worked on preparing the High School Design Competition. HSDC is a day where high schools from Kansas and Missouri come to the School of Engineering and compete in face-to-face contests of devices they’ve designed and built. The retreat also served a relationship-building purpose. Being away from campus allowed relationship bonds to be strengthened. The retreat gave an opportunity for both classes to bond with each other, as well as introduce the new junior SELF Fellows. Read the rest of the Fall 2012 Newsletter here. See photos from the latest SELF Retreat in early October 2012. Join the SELF Facebook group while you're at it, all found here. SELF Fellows from all four classes participated in the retreat at the 4-H Center in Rock Springs.
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. 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. 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. |