A Closer Look at ATE Programs’ Passion to “Partner with Industry for a New American Workforce”

Every October, the National Science Foundation’s Advanced Technological Education (NSF ATE) program supports a conference for the principal investigators, senior personnel of NSF projects and other involved stakeholders. The conference is a power-packed two days in Washington DC. Although the conference has a theme every year, the byline of the ATE program captures the root and essence of the ATE vision and passion for “Partnering with Industry for a New American Workforce”.

Three showcases, national speakers, round table discussions and working sessions provide the stakeholders of currently funded projects and centers many opportunities to share best practices, learn about new strategies and resources, and identify potential partners. I attended a deep dive round table workshop on industry partnerships where we brainstormed and shared effective strategies to get and keep industry involved in all aspects of our educational programs. Mike Ennis, FLATE’s partner from Harris Corporation, co-presented our own best practices at the session. Another working session on data and evaluation had many of us digging into good practices for collecting, analyzing and reporting impact data for NSF as well as our home institutions.

Despite being an active NSF ATE Principal Investigator (PI) for eight years, we are always looking for better ways to increase the impact of our programs and activities. One highlight of the PI conference is the interesting and provocative speakers for the general sessions. I have often left those presentations a bit uncomfortable and struggling with the potential impact of new, out-of-box ideas. Three, 2+ hour showcase sessions where projects and centers display their project activities are all highly stimulating sessions, and great vehicles to explore new technologies, pedagogies and/or valuable new ideas, demos and handouts.

This year Florida was represented by a number of projects and centers. Continuing projects and centers were joined by newly funded projects at Seminole State College, Polk State College, Tallahassee Community College, and South Florida Community College. There are brief summaries of all current NSF ATE projects and centers in Florida on our website at http://fl-ate.org/projects/ate.html. Check them out! They might have resources, or opportunities you are interested in, or spark an idea for your own grant project.

Perhaps the best is that the NSF ATE principal investigators, their stakeholders, and the NSF program officers are a real, working community of practice. It’s a community built on trust, helping and sharing. We face new challenges and mandates together. We work together to get the job done, each contributing what we can do best. We celebrate our individual and group successes together. We mentor and nurture each other. All of this provides fertile ground for personal growth and innovation. It is truly an honor and privilege to be part of such a warm and generous community.

The “New American Workforce” requires dynamic thinkers and strong leaders who cherish creativity and innovation. Articles in this December issue of the FLATE Focus, celebrate NSF ATE Centers’ role in forging partnerships with industry to build a new and skilled American workforce. On behalf of all FLATERS, I’d like to wish you all a warm and happy holidays!

Get into Gear with FLATE Awardees

Manufacturers and educators committed to promote, educate, and train Florida’s high-tech workforce will receive special recognition at the 9th Annual Manufacturers Association of Florida, Manufacturers (MAF) Summit. The awards will be presented on Dec. 6, during the president’s banquet at the Hyatt Regency hotel in Orlando, Fla., by FLATE (Florida Advanced Technological Education Center), the National Science Foundation (NSF) regional center of excellence for manufacturing located at Hillsborough Community College (HCC) in Brandon. According to Marilyn Barger, Ph.D., principal investigator and executive director of FLATE the awards “are a testament to Florida’s high-tech workforce.” They also “serve as an effective vehicle in recognizing outstanding educators and industry professionals who have made significant strides in training the next generation of high-skilled workers in Florida” Barger said.

Steve Portz will receive the 2012 Secondary Educator-of-the-Year award. Portz who is an instructor for engineering technology at Space Coast High School has been teaching engineering technology for the last 25 years. Portz is also the co-founder and lead instructor of the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Aerospace and Manufacturing) Academy at Space Coast High School. Portz played a leading role in co-writing the 2007 Florida Succeed Grant that lead to the establishment of an SLC academy. He has also hosted several industrial lecture series and offered summer camps with advanced topics in injection molding and composites, and instituted SolidWorks training program for the CSWA achieving a significant pass rate.

At the post-secondary level, Adrienne Gould-Choquette, faculty and program director of engineering technology at State College of Florida (SCF) in Bradenton, FL, will receive the Manufacturing Post-Secondary Educator of the Year award. Choquette nurtured the engineering program since 2009, and has been instrumental in launching specialized courses in alternative energy, electronics and digital design. She also developed over 15 courses that include SolidWorks, Industrial Safety, Quality, Manufacturing processes and Solar Energy. At the state level she introduced several new courses including off-the-grid, nanotechnology, sustainability, building envelope science, and biofuels.

Indeed, Choquette has served as a great inspiration in persuading students like Andrew Sink to earn a degree in engineering technology. She helped Sink, a current student pursuing a degree in engineering technology at SCF find a job at a local manufacturing company, and “contributed immensely” to his “personal, professional, and academic growth.” Choquette is a member of the State of Florida Articulation Coordinating Committee for Engineering, and has been a faculty mentor for the FLATE-led Iberian partnership for technician excellence initiative for the last two years.

On the industry side of the continuum, Peter Buczynsky, president & co-founder of Pharmaworks, Inc. in Odessa, FL, will receive the Industry Distinguished Service award. Over the past few years, Buczynsky has coached a FIRST robotics team, and hosted several industry tours for students to increase technical interest and awareness. Buczynsky currently serves as a Pasco County Economic Development Council (PEDC) board member, and is the Chair of the PEDC Economic Growth Task Force. He is a member River Ridge High School’s engineering academy advisory board, and is part of the Pasco-Hernando Community College drafting and design advisory committee. Rob Aguis, director for community, career and technical education in Pasco County says “Bucznsky has been very influential in establishing and ensuring progress of career academies, STEM education and robotics throughout Pasco County.” Buczynsky is also a board member of the CTEF of the Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute Workforce and Education Board, and has served as an advisory council member for the Banner Center for Advanced Manufacturing.

2012 marks the sixth year of the FLATE awards. Since the implementation of the awards program in 2006, FLATE has recognized 12 educators in secondary and post-secondary educational institutions, and six industry partners. For more information on the FLATE awards, contact Dr. Marilyn Barger, executive director of FLATE at barger@fl-ate.org/813.259.6578, or visit www.fl-ate.org.

Great American Teach-In Emblematic of Industry-Centric Partnerships

For a number of years, the Great American Teach-in has offered students, educators and industry professionals across the nation an opportunity to share ideas and best practices on a vast range of topics. The program has helped “learners visualize and discuss ideal learning environments” enabling the cultivation of innovators and thinkers in society. It has also prompted creation of better workplaces by empowering individuals to work as a community. (Source: Great American Teach In)

Given its emphasis on industry-centric partnerships and impact on educators on a national and statewide level, FLATE, the National Science Foundation Center of Excellence in high-tech manufacturing, recently partnered with several manufacturers, industry partners and the school districts of Pinellas and Hillsborough counties to participate in the Great American Teach-In event for local students and educators. On November 15, more than 150 students got an up-close look at high-tech manufacturing outfits in the region, and re warding career options available to students in Florida.

FLATE partnered with the Bay Area Manufacturers Association (BAMA), a leading voice for manufacturers in the greater Tampa Bay area and HSA Engineers and Scientists, a local industry partner, to give local students an overview of STEM-related careers. Steve Meitzen, past president of BAMA and director of sales and marketing at Clarison Plastics in Ocala, FL, gave 25, fourth graders from Citrus Park Elementary School, a first-hand account of high-tech manufacturing operations in the region. FLATE also partnered with HSA Engineers and Scientists, a local industry partner in Tampa, to give students enrolled in the STEM Engineering Academy at Greco Middle an in-depth look at STEM based careers. Steven Janosik, senior project engineer at HSA talked to 6th and 7th graders about the importance of STEM and showcased its applicability in every day high-tech processes. Elizabeth Heli, lead technology instructor at Greco pre-engineering STEM academy and a technology instructor for FLATE’s all girls’ robotics camps said “the presentation was wonderful,” and gave students got a first-hand view of what it takes to be an engineer.

In addition to tapping into industry expertise, FLATE professionals visited Brandon High School, Walker Middle Magnet School, Bevis Elementary School and Greco Middle School in Tampa. At Bevis Elementary School in Lithia, Nina Stokes, project manager for the FLATE-led FESC program at HCC, gave two presentations that covered topics related to energy sources, energy efficiency, recycling, and water conservation. She distributed materials and examples offering students a real-world view and applications of the concepts discussed in the presentation. According to Stokes “the kids were fascinated by the simple windmills and how they could generate electricity just by spinning the blades.”

In another “show and tell” type presentation, students at Walker Magnet Middle School were taught about recycling. “Ms. Fedna did an amazing job with the students!” said Desaray Cochron from Walker Magnet Middle School. Fedna was very hands-on, and showcased real-life examples that got students excited about recycling. At Brandon High School, Danielly Orozco & Rick Cole gave students an insider’s look at educational and career pathways in high-tech manufacturing. Orozco, FLATE’s curriculum coordinator, presented Made In Florida manufacturing resources for teachers and students. The presentation enhanced students’ understanding about science, technology, engineering and mathematics, provided insight on what it takes to become an engineer, and how programs like the FLATE-created statewide degree in engineering technology can help students pursue STEM-related careers.

“Great American Teach-In was a great collaborative success” said Dr. Marilyn Barger. Barger, principal investigator and executive director of FLATE, said the hope is “to educate and motivate students to explore unique career options in manufacturing,” and bring the world of high-tech manufacturing into the classroom of local schools.

To participate in Great American Teach-In visit www.declarationofeducation.com. For information on FLATE-led local and statewide STEM based projects contact Dr. Marilyn Barger at barger@fl-ate.org, or visit www.fl-ate.org and www.madeinflorida.org.

sTEm–at-Work: Answer for Puzzle #31

The Problem: Thermodiode voltage response to temperature changes

Discussion

This puzzle provides the opportunity to explore the plots and determine that two of the

three batches of devices have failed quality expectations each for a different reason.  The inverse response dependency is present in one of the failed batches while the other does not exhibit this inverse relationship. This provides opportunities to discuss direct and inverse relationships relative to function response.   The high temperature response of the other two batches provides the distinction between failed performance and expected performance for the two batches that do exhibit inverse response characteristics.  The interesting point to make about Diode lot: PP#203B is the fact that although it has in inverse linear region, the fact that the output voltage value goes up as temperature goes up is a valid reason for rejecting the batch.  This high temperature region response suggests that there was a flaw somewhere in the manufacturing process and thus the devices with that flaw cannot be trusted to perform as expected through their entire life cycle.  The fact that the devices in Diode lot PP#520B fail as expected provides an opportunity to discuss the fact that devices are designed to operate within a desired range.  If the devices operate correctly within that range and do not exhibit unexpected operational characteristics outside that designed range, the devices will pass their quality inspection.

Solution
All three batches of these devices have to be reported as not meeting performance expectations?


Answer: NO