Deans address student queries
Panelists included deans & heads
Anisha Madappa
Issue date: 3/12/10 Section: News
The Mechanical Engineering Graduate Student Association hosted a "Future in Academia" panel discussion March 4, where students on a panel of Drexel engineering faculty answered student questions.
The panelists included Selçuk Güçeri, dean of the College of Engineering; Surya Kalidindi, head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics; Giuseppe Palmese, head of the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering Sabrina Spatari, assistant professor of civil, architectural and environmental engineering; and Mark Hempstead, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering.
"If you're a grad student, you either go into the field or teaching, so we thought this would be a good idea for an event," Chris Geisler, MEGA president and mechanical engineering major, said.
Geisler and Chris Swin, MEGA vice-president, first tested for interest in the event by sending a survey to those enrolled in the College of Engineering. The survey asked whether the person would attend the event, who they would like to see as the panelists and if they had a question for the panelists. After getting responses from over 60 students, they decided to have the event.
"There were about 80 people at the event," Geisler said. "It wasn't all students, too; some professors came as well."
Harish Vashisth, a fifth year Ph.D. student in chemical and biological engineering, was among the students who attended the event.
"I [went] to learn about life in academia and what it takes to become a successful faculty member." Vashisth said. "I would love to [teach] because I want to become a faculty member and teaching is an essential part of your job."
Panelist Surya Kalidindi said she was happy to participate in the event.
"Mechanical engineering is at the verge of a major transformation. It is aggressively expanding to include a number of emerging technical fields related to biomechanics, sustainable energy and environment, national security, and advanced materials," Kalidindi said. "This is a great time to be engaged in shaping the future of the mechanical engineering profession [and] I am not sure many students are aware of the benefits of an academic career."
The panelists included Selçuk Güçeri, dean of the College of Engineering; Surya Kalidindi, head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics; Giuseppe Palmese, head of the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering Sabrina Spatari, assistant professor of civil, architectural and environmental engineering; and Mark Hempstead, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering.
"If you're a grad student, you either go into the field or teaching, so we thought this would be a good idea for an event," Chris Geisler, MEGA president and mechanical engineering major, said.
Geisler and Chris Swin, MEGA vice-president, first tested for interest in the event by sending a survey to those enrolled in the College of Engineering. The survey asked whether the person would attend the event, who they would like to see as the panelists and if they had a question for the panelists. After getting responses from over 60 students, they decided to have the event.
"There were about 80 people at the event," Geisler said. "It wasn't all students, too; some professors came as well."
Harish Vashisth, a fifth year Ph.D. student in chemical and biological engineering, was among the students who attended the event.
"I [went] to learn about life in academia and what it takes to become a successful faculty member." Vashisth said. "I would love to [teach] because I want to become a faculty member and teaching is an essential part of your job."
Panelist Surya Kalidindi said she was happy to participate in the event.
"Mechanical engineering is at the verge of a major transformation. It is aggressively expanding to include a number of emerging technical fields related to biomechanics, sustainable energy and environment, national security, and advanced materials," Kalidindi said. "This is a great time to be engaged in shaping the future of the mechanical engineering profession [and] I am not sure many students are aware of the benefits of an academic career."
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