Several Engineering Science seniors recently presented their Senior Research Design Capstone Projects in a public presentation format. The names of the students, their research titles, and their supervising faculty members follows below. The Senior Research Design Capstone Project is a graduation requirement for students enrolled in the Engineering Science major.

After twenty-one years of service in the Engineering Science and Mechanics Department and five in the College of Agriculture, Ms. Eileen Orr has announced her retirement effective December 31, 2004. She is looking forward to finishing her family genealogy, writing her family history, taking up ink and artist's brush, and continuing her excursions to art museums.

We were delighted to hear from Ms. Keri Jay (B.S., E Sc, 2004) about her career endeavors. Ms. Jay is employed with the Sales and Marketing Group of II-VI Incorporated. The Saxonburg, Pennsylvania company specializes in crystal materials growth, optics fabrication, electronics component manufacture and other high-tech products and applications for industry.

Recently she and fellow employee Kristen Pratt had an opportunity to make a presentation to a local community group about II-VI Incorporated's history, products, subsidiaries, and applications to a local community group.

Great work Keri!

Summer 2004 marked the conclusion of the ninth year of the Engineering Science and Mechanics Department's Summer Research Experience for Undergraduates.

The (non-credit) program provides undergraduate Engineering Science students with the opportunity to be paid to work on current research projects under the supervision of Engineering Science and Mechanics faculty.

We are pleased to annouce that the laboratories and offices for the ESM Department in the Earth and Engineering Sciences Building now have wireless networking.

The upgrade in services is a result of mutual collaboration by both the College of Engineering and the ESM Department.

Akhlesh Lakhtakia, University Distinguished Professor, has been invited to speak at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) Latsis Symposium 2005 entitled "Negative refraction: revisiting electromagnetics from microwaves to optics". The symposium will "provide a unique opportunity to bring together key scientists from all around the world to exchange ideas and discuss the fascinating physics of negative refraction."

The symposium is scheduled for February 28 - March 2, 2005.

For additional information visit: http://latsis05.epfl.ch