Hudson Mohawk Section Newsletter Editor: Kris Frutschy ([email protected]) March 2014
AIAA Distinguished Lecturer Laurie A. Leshin, Ph.D., Dean, School of Science, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Roving the Red Planet with Curiosity: Seeking Habitable Environments in our Solar System*
Since October 2011, Dr. Laurie Leshin has been the Dean of the School of Science at RPI. Prior to joining Rensselaer, Dr. Leshin served as the Deputy Associate Administrator for NASA’s Exploration Systems Mission After surviving the so-called "7 minutes of terror" to land Directorate where she played a leading role NASA's safely in Gale Crater on Mars, the rover Curiosity has future human spaceflight endeavors. In this role, she been exploring for signs of water and other evidence oversaw the planning and execution of the next that Mars was once habitable. Come and hear hot-off- generation of human exploration systems, as well as the-presses science, see the breathtaking images from the research, robotic and future capabilities the Red Planet, and get an insider view from a member development activities that support them. She was also of the Curiosity science team. engaged in initiating the development of commercial Date: Tuesday, March 25th human spaceflight capabilities to low earth orbit. Time: Social at 5 PM, Dinner at 6 PM with Dr. Leshin has published more than 40 scientific presentation following papers, and was the inaugural recipient of the Meteoritical Society’s Nier Prize in 1996 for her work. Location: Holiday Inn Express, 400 Old Loudon Rd., In 2013, President Obama appointed Leshin to the Latham NY, 12110. Advisory Board of the Smithsonian National Air and Cost: $30 discounted rate to ASME, AIAA, Space Museum. In 2004, Dr. Leshin served on Vibration Institute (VI), and Society of President Bush’s Commission on Implementation of Tribology and Lubrication Engineers (STLE) United States Space Exploration Policy, a nine-member members. Non-Members: $35. Students commission charged with advising the President on the (first 30): $10 – member/non-member prices execution of his new Vision Space Exploration. She thereafter. received the NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal in 2004 for this work, and the Outstanding Leadership RSVP: Tom Walter, [email protected] 518-320- Medal in 2011 for her work at NASA. The International th 8552 x 118 by March 18 . Entrée choices: Astronomical Union recognized her contributions to Chicken Cordon Bleu, Roasted Prime Rib au planetary science with the naming of asteroid 4922 jus, Sole fillets stuffed with crabmeat. Leshin. In January 2014 Dr. Leshin was selected as Special requests (vegetarian, gluten-free, the next president of Worchester Polytechnic Institute, etc.) can be accommodated. effective July 1, 2014. *The Hudson-Mohawk Section of ASME and the local Dr. Leshin received her B.S. in Chemistry in 1987 from sections of the Vibration Institute, AIAA, and STLE are Arizona State University, and her Ph.D. in co-sponsoring this networking social and dinner lecture Geochemistry in 1994 from California Institute of event as part of Vibo-Rama 2014. See page 2 for Technology. additional Vibo-Rama information.
Vibo-Rama 2014 Letter from the Chair Since the mid 1990’s, The Hudson-Mohawk chapter of the Vibration Institute has annually organized Vibo- Dear "One ASME" Re-Organization Committee Members: Rama for engineers and technicians interested in machinery and equipment design, operation and For this (47) y/o, it's been my great privilege - and an maintenance. This year’s session, co-sponsored by the important compliment to my continuing paid-career in the Albany, NY region - to increasingly volunteer for ASME via Hudson-Mohawk Section of ASME and local AIAA and Hudson-Mohawk Section unpaid service-work, since first STLE sections, features these technical presentations, becoming an ASME member, while working for the U.S. each certified for 1 PDH credit hour: government's Benet Laboratories, in 2005.
Sealing in Turbomachinery - by Norm Turnquist Over the years, I've been mentored by several past Section Gears – Design, Metallurgy, and Problems - by Chairs, including GE's David Smith and Fred Willett, and had Neville Sachs the wonderful opportunity to travel to multiple District and National Leadership Conferences in places including Dallas, An Overview of the Emerging Field of Soft New Orleans, Washington DC, New York City, and Easton (Flexible) Robotics - by Deepak Trivedi and Philadelphia, PA. The networking I've been able to perform via ASME volunteer service has hugely In the exhibit hall you can learn about the latest in complimented and been immensely important for my ongoing machinery best practices, health assessment methods, paid-career. troubleshooting, monitoring and diagnostics from providers of products, services, and techniques. Through my service work I've come to realize, that via your ABET curriculum-setting and standards involvement, that even as a non-member, I've really been connected to ASME since my undergraduate training days in the ME building called "Old Main," at Clarkson University in Potsdam, New York (BSME '92).
As our Society considers simplifying its volunteer bureaucracy, I feel it's important for ASME executives to understand why "District-A" - and National - level volunteer service was structured this way to begin with.
My strong feeling - and this could be confirmed via long-time ASME History and Heritage volunteers - is that the District- level hierarchy was initially created to mimic and offer a chance for working engineers - many of us at one point or Vibo-Rama includes vendor exhibits and technical recently immigrants from other countries - to become familiar with and practice fundamental ideals of American presentations for PDH credit. The AIAA parliamentary & representative democracy. Distinguished Lecturer immediately follows. Date: Tuesday, March 25th. I strongly suspect our 501-C-3 non-profit status with the U.S. and other governments - IRS, New York State, foreign Time: 1 to 6 PM. Hors D’oeuvres and cash bar at 5 governments, etc. - evolved out of this important social- PM. See page 1 for dinner and presentation. welfare role ASME has played for over (100) years in promoting proper American "Citizenship" and acculturation. Location: Holiday Inn Express, 400 Old Loudon Rd., Latham NY, 12110. Since the basic role of organizations like Facebook, Twitter and Google is a very different "for-profit" one, serving the Cost: No charge, but RSVP needed. Requested narrow interests of their shareholders and management, donation if you want PDH credit, to help adopting the "extreme-lean" organization structure of modern defray certification expenses: $10/hour. Internet companies could, in my humble opinion, imperil our ongoing non-profit status in Washington, Albany and many Details and latest info: http://www.vibinsthm.org other important places. RSVP: Tom Walter, [email protected] 518-320- 8552 x 118. Thank you for considering my comments as you continue your "One ASME" re-organization work. Note: The AIAA Distinguished Lecturer dinner & presentation immediately follows – see pg 1. Respectfully and faithfully yours,
Lawrence Kelley Chairman - Hudson-Mohawk Section Link to ASME-Hudson Mohawk full calendar of events: The American Society of Mechanical Engineers http://sections.asme.org/hudson-mohawk/CalendarOfEvents.html Phone (518) 812-1268 [email protected]
Hudson Mohawk Section Newsletter Editor: Kris Frutschy ([email protected]) March 2014
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