DeVries and Spanos to Receive ASME Honorary Membership at 2014 Congress

DeVries and Spanos to Receive ASME Honorary Membership at 2014 Congress DeVries and Spanos to Receive ASME Honorary Membership at 2014 Congress DeVries and Spanos to Receive ASME Honorary Membership at 2014 CongressWarren R. DeVries ASME Fellows Warren R. DeVries, PhD, and Pol D. Spanos, PE, PhD, are among eight leaders of the engineering profession ASME will pay tribute to this year during the Societys 2014 Honors Assembly. Dr. DeVries and Dr. Spanos will both receive Honorary Membership in ASME during the ceremony, which be held Nov. 17 during the ASME 2014 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition in Montreal, Canada.First awarded in 1880, the founding year of the Society, Honorary Membership recognizes a lifetime of service to engineering or related fields.DeVries, Ph.D., a prof of mechanical engineering at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) and former member of the ASME Board of Governors, is being recognized for distinctive contribu tions to engineering education and research as a professor for dedication to advancing the frontiers of discovery and innovation through public service and for striving to advance the recognition of engineerings contributions to humankind through leadership in professional societies. A leader in engineering education and a renowned pioneer in manufacturing processes and systems research, DeVries served as dean of the College of Engineering and Information Technology at UMBC from 2006 to 2014, where he worked with faculty and staff to build on UMBCs reputation for integration of education and research covering the entire spectrum of innovation, from knowledge discovery through technology commercialization.Before joining UMBC in 2006, DeVries served as director of the National Science Foundations (NSF) Division of Design, Manufacture and Industrial neuschpfung. Through its funding, the division enabled discovery, learning and innovation in universities, and managed the NSFs role in th e government-wide Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs. DeVries was on assignment to the NSF from Iowa State University, Ames, where was chair of the department of mechanical engineering from 1996 to 2002. Prior to that, DeVries spent two years as a program director at the NSF, and held faculty positions at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and the University of WisconsinMadison. DeVries, who is currently the Societys secretary and treasurer, has served the Society in a number of different positions, including as a member of the ASME Board of Governors from 1999 to 2002, and as senior vice president of the Council for Engineering from 1990 to 1999. He received an Outstanding Service Award from the Manufacturing Engineering Division in 1997, and the Societys Charles Russ Richards Memorial Award in 2005 and Dedicated Service Award in 2006.DeVries received his bachelors degree in letters and engineerin g from Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Mich., in 1971. He earned three degrees in mechanical engineering from University of WisconsinMadison a bachelors, with honors, in 1971 a masters in 1973 and a PhD, with minors in statistics, and electrical and computer engineering, in 1975. Pol D. Spanos Spanos, the L.B. Ryon endowed chair in engineering at Rice University, is being recognized with Honorary Membership for his contributions to the dynamic analysis and design of diverse mechanical systems for effective pedagogies that have advanced engineering education and for achievements resulting from a resolute commitment to societal improvement through engineering innovation. One of the worlds leading experts on the dynamics and vibrations of structural and mechanical systems, Spanos joined the faculty at Rice University in 1984, and has held the L.B. Ryon endowed chair in engineering since 1988. He was previously on the faculty at the University of Texas at Austin from 19 77 to 1984. Spanos emphasis in the area of dynamics and vibrations has been on probabilistic, nonlinear and signal-processing aspects, with applications to structural engineering, aerospace engineering, offshore engineering, biomechanics and composite materials. His work has been supported by government entities including NASA, the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, the Office of Naval Research, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and by industrial consortia. In addition, Spanos is quite frequently involved in forensic engineering matters serving as master-of-the-court and technical expert for the federal courts.Spanos served as secretary and chair of the Applied Mechanics Divisions executive committee, and as a reviewer and an associate editor for several ASME division journals. He is the recipient of the Societys Pi Tau Sigma Gold Medal, the Gustus L. Larson Memorial Award, and the Charles Russ Richards Memorial Award. A member of the National Academy of Engineering and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Spanos received his diploma in mechanical engineering and engineering science from the National Technical University of Athens, Greece, in 1973. He earned his masters degree in civil engineering (dynamics) and his Ph.D. in applied mechanics, with minors in applied mathematics and business economics, from the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, in 1974 and 1976, respectively. He is a registered professional engineer in Texas, and a licensed mechanical engineer and civil engineer in Greece.

Rocket scientists, cab drivers, and football players have this in common

Rocket scientists, cab drivers, and football players have this in commonRocket scientists, cab drivers, and football players have this in commonIm not a morning person. To me, sunrises feel as energizing as a root canal. To prepare myself for what felt like a recurring battle each morning, I would set my alarm clock thirty minutes fast.You know the rest of the story.Kid, meet snooze button. In economics lingo, I would consume those thirty minutes instead of saving them by repeatedly hitting snooze like a proposition in a Skinner box.There is a phenomenon that explains my love-hate relationship with the snooze button. The saatkorn phenomenon shows why head and neck injuries increased in American football after players started wearing hard-shelled helmets to better protect themselves. It explains why installing anti-lock brakes- a now-ancient technology introduced in cars in the 1980s to avoid skidding- didnt decrease the number of accidents. It also explains why marking crosswalks did nt make crossing the street any tresorr- in some cases, it led to more fatalities and injuries.The psychologist Gerald Wilde calls this phenomenonrisk homeostasis.The phrase is fancy, but the idea is simple In some cases, measures intended to decrease risk backfire. Humans compensate for the reduced risk in one area by increasing risk in another.Marked crosswalks dont increase safety because pedestrians develop a false sense of security and assume drivers are more likely to stop. They become less vigilant about looking both ways for oncoming besucherzahlen before crossing.Before hard helmets were introduced in American football, players would wear leather helmets that provided little protection to the head. As a result, they would use their shoulders as the initial point of contact. After players started to wear hard helmets, they began to lead tackles with their heads, which led to increased injuries and fatalities.Over a three-year period, a study was conducted in Munich. One port ion of a taxicab fleet was equipped with an anti-lock brake system (ABS). The remainder of the cabs had traditional, non-ABS brakes. The cars were identical in all other respects. They drove at the same time of day, the same days of the week, and in the same weather conditions. The drivers also knew whether their car was equipped with ABS.The study found no tangible difference in accident rates between the ABS-equipped cars and the remainder. But one difference was statistically significant driving behavior. The drivers of the ABS-equipped cars became far more reckless. They tailgated more often. Their turns were sharper. They drove faster. They switched lanes dangerously. They were involved in more near-misses.Safety measures also backfired in the 1986 Challenger space shuttle tragedy that claimed the lives of seven astronauts. The explosion resulted from a catastrophic flaw in the O-rings- thin rubber bands that seal the joints of the rocket boosters that launch the shuttle and pr event hot gases from leaking out. There were two O-rings on each joint- a primary and a secondary, for good measure- because the function they serve is critical.On the morning of Challengers launch, temperatures in Cape Canaveral were uncharacteristically cold. As a result, two engineers at Morton Thiokol, the company that built the rocket boosters, recommended a delay of the launch, believing that cold temperatures could compromise the O-rings.But the upper management overruled the engineers recommendations. The managersdecidedthat the O-rings had a sufficient safety margin to enable them to tolerate three times the worst erosion observed up to that time. Whats more, there was a failsafe in place They had faith in the secondary O-ring if anything happened to the primary.This belief boosted a sense of invincibility and led to catastrophe when both the primary and the secondary O-ring failed during launch. These rocket scientists were like football players tackling with their helmet- protected heads or German cabbies in ABS-equipped cars driving fast and loose.In each case, implementing the safety measure gave us the satisfaction of doing something about a problem. But each left unaddressed the human cause behind the technical cause- a la the dream within a dream in the movieInception.In other words, the safe felt more safe than it actually was. The corresponding behavior change eliminated any benefit from the safety measure. In some cases, the pendulum swung in the other direction The activity became less safe than it was before the safety measure was put in place.This doesnt mean that we stop fastening our seat belts, buy ancient cars that dont come with ABS, or take up jaywalking.Instead, pretend the crosswalk isnt marked and walk accordingly. Assume the secondary O-ring or the ABS brakes wont prevent the accident. Keep your head out of the tackle, even if youre wearing a helmet. Act as if your clock isnt thirty minutes fast or that you didnt receive an exten sion on that project deadline.The safety netmaybe there to catch you if you fall, but youre better off pretending it doesnt exist.Inspirations Gerald Wilde,Target Risk Malcolm Gladwell,Blowup William Starbuck Frances Milliken,Challenger Fine-Tuning the Odds Until Something Breaks.Ozan Varol is a rocket scientist turned law professor and bestselling author.Click hereto download a free copy of his e-book, The Contrarian Handbook 8 Principles for Innovating Your Thinking. Along with your free e-book, youll get the Weekly Contrarian - a newsletter that challenges conventional wisdom and changes the way we look at the world (plus access to exclusive content for subscribers only).Thisarticlefirst appeared onOzanVarol.com.

Judgment - Your Resumes Secret Sauce

Judgment - Your Resumes Secret SauceJudgment - Your Resumes Secret SauceJudgment Your Resumes Secret SauceMaking tabloids and mainstream news a few years ago, a group of Japanese tourists boneheadedly elevated the wisdom of their in-car GPS above their own and followed its directions right into the Pacific Ocean. They ultimately emerged unscathed, but their rented Hyundai and their pride will remain forever waterlogged. Judgment is what they lacked read more to find out how highlighting this critical core competency can be the secret sauce to an effective federal resume. The widely circulated car-dunkingstory highlighted the over reliance on technology and the widespread ceding of judgment to devices and systems. The event took place in 2012before Siri, Uber, or the rapid rise of autonomous cars.Hopefully any similar future headlines will be as benign and chuckleworthy as the Japanese in Australiaplatzdeckchen Yourself Apart With Your JudgmentThe anecdote here is apt to the job se arch and federal employment.The tourists were incompetent vacationers.To rise above the rest and land your next federal job, you must highlight core competencies.Professional judgment is the secret sauce to many federal positions especially mid and senior level jobs in many popular occupational series.It can sometimes be difficult for hiring managers to articulate the competency they seek in the frequently-bland, overly standardized language of job announcements.But like other things that are hard to pin down, they know it when they see it.On the flip side, it can be equally difficult for you, the applicant, to effectively communicate the judgment experience and related core competencies you possess.With the tenacity and speed with which the federal government automates and integrates judgment-robbing systems, the competency is a rarer quality these days.The various systems of the federal government today are analogous to GPS and Siriefficient for plugged-in folks to leverage but al so crutches which do not, in and of themselves, demonstrate personal usefulness, discretion, or judgment.The masses know Siri.And WAWF.And DAI.And a host of other specialized streamlining systems for work or play.What can set you apartand mean the difference between job offer and no job offeris that nebulous concept of occupational judgment.Including the Secret SauceYoure confident you have it.Youre reasonably sure your next employer values it.Yet you swim in a sea of systems and processes, of which you have experience with.How do you clearly and effectively pitch your higher-level judgment?Here are some ways to include the secret sauce in your resume.The Outline FormatJudgment cannot be communicated in even the best-written bullet point.To show your occupational judgment on paper, The Resume distributionspolitiks Outline Format is key. With tight, punchy paragraphs highlighting key skills, you will be much more effective at detailing hard skills required by the job alongside the co mpetency of workplace judgment.The former will get your resume through objective HR scorers scanning your resume for basic qualifications the latter will move you to the top of the hiring managers stack.He/she is searching for qualified candidates, but also competence, prudence, and good judgment.The CCAR MethodBecause instances of judgment usually need explanatory context, a Key Accomplishments section can be a great place to elaborate on your good workplace judgment.The Resume Place recommends and uses (in its professionally prepared resumes) the CCAR method for developing effective Key Accomplishment stories for inclusion in your resume.More info for can be found here.It is a great way to get your competency described and considered by your next boss.Consultations, Skill Matching, and TargetingOf course a large part of an effective federal resume involves clear demonstration of your hard skills and experience with important enterprise systems.But an effective portrayal of the mor e elusive soft skill/competency of judgment can give you a critical edge.In crafting your federal resume, you must use your experience and judgment to most effectively portray it on paper.Theres an ocean of not-referred, less-than-qualified applicants out theredont steer yourself into it For more information and to contact us for assistance, go here resume-place.com/federalresumequote/ About the AuthorJeremy Mottis an experienced technical writer with significant analytical and organizational expertise, ideally suited for federal resume writing. With 12 years in the federal government serving as a Management and Program Analyst, Contract Manager, and Electronics Engineer, his diverse experience is reflective of- and a great asset to- the broad range of Resume Place clients.Jeremy has a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and a Masters of Public Administration, both from the University of Louisville. He also received a Graduate Certificate in Public Management from a NAVSEA-sponsored prog ram with Indiana University. He lives in Germany with his wife, son, and daughter.