Members Present: Harry Bell, Larry Burton, Tom Collins, Ken Jenkins, Kevin Kelly, Ray Lunnen, Jack Mitchell, Tom Walsh, and Mark Wharton

1. Agenda for the Fall 1999 General Membership Meeting - Mark Wharton
Goal:  Plan Agenda, then write it up and send it out in 1 week.
Fall 1999 SPSEE General Membership Meeting:  Friday, October 15, 1999, 1:00 - 3:30 p.m., 256 Hammond.
(This is the week of the Ohio State game.)

Discussion of agenda topics went as follows:

(1)  Tom Collins and Tom Walsh will work on an SPSEE database that includes both addresses and email addresses as well as searchable topics of interest.  As of now, we have separate files of things and it would be difficult to integrate this for Francine to use otherwise.  Tom Collins spoke with his son who recommends "File Maker Pro".  This will be looked into further.  Once this is up and running, we will be able to use electronic means to contact our members to reduce overall mailing costs for the future.  This may also lead to more interaction with members at remote locations.

(2)  Tom Walsh will try to get the email to the faculty through Old Main checks before the meeting.  The email invites EE faculty to contribute to PSU's Grand Destiny campaign and to encourage them to direct part or all of their contribution to the "SPSEE Graduate Student Fellowship Fund".  Once successful, he will try to do the same with the SPSEE members that have email addresses in the new SPSEE database.  Those who do not have email addresses will be contacted with a letter.

(3)  Harry Bell will request  volunteers to make phone calls for recruiting in Feb/Mar/Apr.  The training session is before that time.

(4)  Ray suggested we have a speaker from IST  ("School of Information Sciences and Technology").  It was suggested to ask Joe Lambert, Associate Dean of the School of Information Sciences and Technology.  As a backup speaker, Larry Burton suggested someone to talk about the new ground breaking for the new building October 14.

(5)  Tom Walsh will email the student body to invite them to come to the SPSEE meeting.  This is good for awareness of SPSEE for future SPSEE members.

(6)  Tom Walsh will have a sign up sheet and ask SPSEE members to help with the EE Open House again this year.  Efforts last year were very helpful and we wish to continue this as another way of SPSEE members helping the department.

(7)  Ken Jenkins mentioned that bioengineering has a new BS, and soon they will be a department (as of now, they are only a program).  They received $2 million and now have 3 new faculty.  This would be a good topic for future SPSEE speakers.

(8)  Tom Walsh will ask Bill Higgins about an EE display.

New Project Ideas:

2.  Some new project ideas were discussed including:

(1) Jenkins:  There is a program at Purdue sponsored by NSF (prime contractor) and universities (sub contractor) where people find places in the community (hospitals, schools, etc.) where projects can be developed where students get credit, NSF provides money, and faculty supervise.  This would be a GREAT thing for the community!  (the goals of the university are teaching, research, and SERVICE).  This would be EXCELLENT for Penn State, EE, and SPSEE!  Thus, SPSEE members could come up with suggestions, contact people, help define project goals, offer advice to both students and faculty, etc.  In addition, it may be possible to involve more than just those SPSEE members that are local.

(2)  Tom Walsh and Tom Collin's database could be useful in creating more contact information that SPSEE members could access regarding other members, projects under development, etc.

(3)  Jenkins contact on this, Ed, could come to PSU to give a talk and 'sell' this idea to SPSEE and the PSU faculty.  Topics that have been approached before include "skills" to help with the handicapped, "centerpiece" to help with prisons, and "habitat for humanity".

3. Agenda Summary - Mark Wharton
SPSEE General Membership Meeting
Friday, May 21, 1999
1:00 P.M.
132 Electrical Engineering East

    1.  Introduction - Mark Wharton
    2.  EE Department News - Jack Mitchell
    3.  Undergraduate Recruiting - Harry Bell
    4.  SPSEE Graduate Fellowship Fund - Mark Wharton
    5.  Guest Speakers - Topic:  "The EE First-year Seminar Experience"
    6.  New Projects - Mark Wharton
    7.  Adjournment