Volume 1 Issue 6 November 2005 |
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 Summer
Precollege Science, Math, and Engineering Camps
 Precollege
science, math and engineering camps are a great way for precollege
students to experience what it might be like to work in the fields of
science, technology, engineering, or mathematics. Many camps are hosted
by universities or research centers, and several are specifically
designed for female and minority students. Many summer programs have
application deadlines in January, so now is the time to explore the
possibilities for Summer 2006. Several companies also host special
programs for students. For example, IBM's EXITE (EXploring Interests in
Technology and Engineering) Camps encourage girls to get interested in
mathematics and science. And, Microsoft's DigiGirlz High Tech Camp for
girls, works to dispel stereotypes of the high-tech industry.
Click here for lists of many summer
programs.
Internships
Seen as Key to College Graduate Hiring
 For
new college graduates looking to enter the work force, participating in
an internship is likely to be even more important in the future than it
is now, according to a new study published by the National Association
of Colleges and Employers (NACE).
College career services and HR/staffing professionals who participated
in the study cited internships as an important issue now; when asked
about the importance of such programs in the future, both college and
employer respondents said internships would be even more important.
"Over the years, we've seen employers place more emphasis on identifying
potential employees through internships. At the same time, we've seen
more and more college career centers offer students assistance in
finding and winning internship opportunities," says Marilyn Mackes, NACE
executive director.
The Sloan Career Cornerstone Center provides more information about how
to find out about coops or internships
under its precollege resource page. Coops and internships can offer
great experiences to enhance the college experience, and can provide on
the job training to augment classroom work. In many fields, coops or
internships can lead the way to job offers, and certainly provide
extensive networking opportunities.
More
Salary Gains For Class of 2005
 Average
starting salary offers to new college grads continue to increase,
according to the Fall 2005 issue of Salary Survey, published by the
National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). For the most
part, those graduating with degrees in the computer sciences saw smaller
increases than those in the business disciplines -- but their actual
salary offers were higher than those to most business grads. Salary
offers among computer science graduates, for example, rose just 3.3
percent over last year, but that increase spiked their average salary
offer to $50,664. Information sciences and systems grads also fared well
this year, posting a 3.6 increase that raised their average offer to
$43,902. Among engineering graduates, most reported increases to their
average starting salary offers. Chemical engineering grads saw one of
the smaller increases, only 2.1 percent, inching their average offer to
$53,639, still the second highest of all the engineering majors. Civil
engineering graduates posted a stronger increase of 4.1 percent, raising
their average offer to $43,774. Computer engineering graduates saw a 1.8
percent increase to their average salary offer, raising it to $52,242,
and electrical engineering grads received a 1.3 percent increase,
bumping their average offer to $51,773. The average salary offer to
mechanical engineering graduates rose by 3.3 percent, pushing the
average offer to $50,175.
Degree
Profile: Materials Science and Engineering
 Materials
Science and Engineering (MSE) is a field of engineering that encompasses
the spectrum of materials types and how to use them in manufacturing.
Materials span the range: metals, ceramics, polymers (plastics),
semiconductors, and combinations of materials called composites. We live
in a world that is both dependent upon and limited by materials.
Everything we see and use is made of materials: cars, airplanes,
computers, refrigerators, microwave ovens, TVs, dishes, silverware,
athletic equipment of all types, and even biomedical devices such as
replacement joints and limbs. All of these require materials
specifically tailored for their application.
Specific properties are required that result from carefully selecting
the materials and from controlling the manufacturing processes used to
convert the basic materials into the final engineered product.
 Exciting
new product developments frequently are possible only through new
materials and/or processing. History is measured by innovations in
materials. Developments in metals like iron and bronze enabled advances
in civilization thousands of years ago, a synergy which continues today
in the fiber optics that have helped create the Internet and in the
development of biomaterials that mimic living tissue. Find out more
about Careers in Materials
Science and Engineering, and explore a variety of
profiles of
Materials Scientists and Engineers...
2005
Nobel Prize For Physics Awarded For Achievements in Optics
 As
long as humans have populated the Earth, we have been fascinated by
optical phenomena and gradually unraveled the nature of light. This
year's Nobel Prize in Physics is awarded to three scientists in the
field of optics. Roy Glauber is awarded half of the Prize for his
theoretical description of the behavior of light particles. John Hall
and Theodor Hänsch share the other half of the Prize for their
development of laser-based precision spectroscopy, that is, the
determination of the color of the light of atoms and molecules with
extreme precision.
Just like radio waves,
light is a form of electromagnetic radiation. Maxwell described this in
the 1850s. His theory has been utilized in modern communication
technology based on transmitters and receivers: mobile telephones,
television and radio. If a receiver or a detector is to register light,
it must be able to absorb the radiation energy and forward the signal.
This energy occurs in packets called quanta and a hundred years ago
Einstein was able to show how the absorption of a quantum (a photon)
leads to the release of a photoelectron. It is these indirect
photoelectrons that are registered in the apparatuses when photons are
absorbed.
Thus light exhibits a
double nature -- it can be considered both as waves and as a stream of
particles. Roy Glauber has established the basis of Quantum Optics, in
which quantum theory encompasses the field of optics. He could explain
the fundamental differences between hot sources of light such as light
bulbs, with a mixture of frequencies and phases, and lasers which give a
specific frequency and phase.
The important contributions
by John Hall and Theodor Hänsch have made it possible to measure
frequencies with an accuracy of fifteen digits. Lasers with extremely
sharp colors can now be constructed and with the frequency comb
technique precise readings can be made of light of all colors. This
technique makes it possible to carry out studies of, for example, the
stability of the constants of nature over time and to develop extremely
accurate clocks and improved GPS technology. Find out more
online, and learn more about
Physics and
others working in the field...
The
Implications of Nanotechnology
 The
National Science Foundation (NSF) has announced a series of initiatives
that will greatly expand efforts to inform the general public about
nanotechnology, and to explore the implications of that fast-moving
field for society as a whole. NSF has selected the Museum of Science,
Boston, along with the Science Museum of Minnesota and the Exploratorium
in San Francisco, to create and lead this network, which will also
include many other science museums and research institutions. The $20
million, five-year effort represents the largest single award NSF has
given to the science-museum community. A nanometer is one-billionth of a
meter -- the width of human hair is about 80,000 nanometers. A
nanometer-sized particle is smaller than a living cell and requires an
extremely powerful microscope to view.
According to the National Nanotechnology Initiative, nanotechnology is
the understanding and control of matter at dimensions of roughly 1 to
100 nanometers, where unique phenomena enable novel applications.
Encompassing nanoscale science, engineering and technology,
nanotechnology involves imaging, measuring, modeling, and manipulating
matter at this scale. At the nanoscale, the physical, chemical, and
biological properties of materials differ in fundamental and valuable
ways from the properties of individual atoms and molecules or bulk
matter. Nanotechnology R&D is directed toward understanding and creating
improved materials, devices, and systems that exploit these new
properties. According to the National Institute of Standards and
Technology (NIST), more than 1,700 companies in 34 nations reportedly
are pursuing the commercial promise of nanotechnology.
Most entry-level jobs in nanotechnology require a
bachelor's degree in engineering,
mathematics, or science.
College
Completion Rates Up
 America's
young people have made substantial improvements academically over the
last three decades, nearly doubling their college completion rates and
demonstrating improved mathematics performance during the teenage years,
according to "Youth
Indicators 2005," a report by the U.S. Department of Education's
National Center for Education Statistics. The report presents important
trends in the academic progress of teenagers and young adults. It shows
that the proportion of 25- to 29-year-olds completing college rose from
16% in 1970 to 29% in 2004. And average mathematics proficiency for both
13- and 17-year-olds was higher in 2004 than in 1973 for all racial
groups. Highlights from the report include:
 The
proportion of all 16- to 24-year-olds who were dropouts declined
between 1998 (12%) and 2003 (10%).
College
enrollment rates of 18- to 24-year-olds increased from 26% in
1980 to 38% in 2003; the enrollment rate of females increased
more rapidly than that of males.
Career Cornerstone News is a publication of the
Sloan Career Cornerstone Center. Click here
to subscribe.
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