AE GRAD STUDENT LEADS RALLY TO MOURN VICTIMS OF RUSSIAN TERRORISM
Alexander Zolotov (photo right, AE doctoral student) and the Russian Club lead a rally on September 9 to speak out against terrorism. The rally was brought together after the September 1 siege of a school in Baslan, Russia. Over 300 people, many of them children, died before authorities could take control of the situation. 100 people attended the event, along with representatives from the Turkish Association for Secularism and Kemalism and the Muslim Student Association.

STUDENTS PRESENT BUILDING DESIGNS TO LOCAL GROUPS
75 AE students, under the guidance of Pier Bandini, associate professor of architecture, tackled a local concern when they came together on December 8, 2004 to present design plans for a possible future community center. The plans, complete with touchable models and computerized 3-D images, were presented to 15 educational and service organizations from Centre County. Bandini said the project gave students a real client to work with, rather than an abstract, theoretical project.

STUDENT HONORS

Kelly Salyards (AE doctoral candidate), has been awarded the 2005 Dominick J. DeMichele Scholarship Award, which provides financial support for students attending the Society for Experimental Mechanics’ IMAC Conference as first-time presenters. She was recognized for her paper, “Evaluation of a finite element model for dynamic characteristic prediction of a stadium facility.” She will receive her award at a presentation in Orlando in February.

The ASHRAE student society officers received a $10,000 award from the University Park Allocation Committee (UPAC). The award was the result of a successful application by the student group and will be used for full travel support for 22 students to attend the ASHRAE Winter Meeting in Orlando, FL. UPAC allocation funds come largely from the Penn State Student Activity Fee (SAF) and the balance from general funds. UPAC funds are used to support student programs such as guest speakers, musicians and other performers invited by individuals and student groups, as well as travel to conferences and educational events by student groups.