MentorNet News – December 2009 Volume 1

Woman Missing
Amelia Earhart and MentorNet's mission

By David Porush, CEO

This year's movie "Amelia" (starring Hilary Swank) reminded me that when Amelia Earhart went missing on her legendary attempt to fly around the world (in 1937), we lost a great hero and also gained a tragic allegory.

Many don't know this because her legend as an aviator crowds out much of her other amazing achievements, but in addition to her courage and innovation as a pilot, Amelia Earhart was a powerful advocate for women's rights and increased role in education.

Earhart was a visiting professor in the department of aviation at Purdue in 1935. She was brought there explicitly to serve as a mentor and exemplar, encouraging women to pursue careers in science and engineering. While at Purdue, she also helped design the Lockheed L-10E Electra which she would eventually try to fly around the globe. She was also an entrepreneur - she launched the first air shuttle service- and a successful executive (of National Airways) in addition to many other leadership roles...

Read the rest of this story here

WEPAN Engineering Poster Contest Winners Selected!

Message from WEPAN -- Our 5th Annual poster contest concluded on November 12 and the posters were the best we've ever seen! Each year, the competition gets better. This year we had 201 entries from students all over the United States. The theme this year was "Engineers of America" and the designs submitted were thoughtful, smart and dynamic. It was very apparent that students have a deeper understanding of engineering careers. Not only did they show us that they understood engineering but also that the image of the engineer has vastly improved. All of the posters are motivational and could easily inspire many students to put more effort into exploring STEM careers.

First Place winners Susanna Bunt_Harlan, Southwest Tennessee Community College, and Shelby First, Portage Lakes Career Center, are shown above.

See all the winners here.

Featured Opportunities

Travel Grants

The 16th IEEE International Symposium on High-Performance Computer Architecture
High Performance Computer Architecture (HPCA) will provide limited travel grants to full-time students. These grants are intended to partially cover the expense to participate in the conference. Grant amounts will be based on the available budget, number of applications, and details of the applications. Students from underrepresented groups in computer science are especially encouraged to apply. More information

Featured Fellowship

The Space Telescope Science Institute is pleased to invite applications for a 1 year postdoctoral fellowship, with possible extension for up to three years, to work on radio galaxies at low and high redshifts. Deadline: December 31, 2009. More information

Featured Internship

Significant Opportunities in Atmospheric Research and Science (SOARS) at University of Colorado - Boulder
Research internship for students interested in the atmospheric and related sciences. Summer research in a diverse group of peers, mentoring, community support, tuition support. Deadline: 2/1/10. More information