Dr. John Messner

Dr. David Riley was awarded the President’s Award for Engagement with Students at the Faculty/Staff Awards Recognition ceremony held on March 21, 2005. Dr. Riley was honored for his extensive work with students to provide valuable learning experiences. His establishment of the American Indian Housing Initiative (AIHI) is at the crux of this award. AIHI is a partnership between Penn State and the University of Washington, Chief Dull Knife College and Red Feather Development aimed at restoring a culture of self-sufficiency to American Indians via the construction of homes using sustainable building materials. Students learn about the situation in the classroom and then spend two weeks in Montana assisting with the construction process.

The AE Department is also pleased to announce that Dr. William Bahnfleth was promoted to professor, effective July 1, 2005. Congratulations!

WELCOME
The AE Department is pleased to welcome Corey Wilkinson who joined the staff in May as an Advanced Engineering Aid. He is a Penn State graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in information sciences and technology.

COMMENCEMENT
The College of Engineering held commencement on May 13, 2005. Architectural Engineering distributed 67 B.A.E., 17 M.A.E., 4 M. Eng., 7 M.S., and 4 Ph.D. degrees. An evening reception was held in the Bryce Jordan Center for the AE graduates, their guests, and AE faculty and staff. Congratulations to our most recent graduates!

STUDENT MARSHALL
Diane Emert (GPA 3.97) was named the class student marshal to represent AE in the spring 2005 commencement ceremony. Dr. Richard Mistrick served as faculty marshal.

This ambitious young woman worked hard to achieve academic excellence while participating in the integrated Bachelor and Master of Architectural Engineering degree program. Her hard work earned her numerous scholarships, including the Evan Pugh Outstanding Scholar award, the Penn State President’s award and the Lithonia Besal Fund Scholarship. At the same time, she joined the Schreyer Honors College, was an Architectural Engineering Student Envoy, and worked as a Teaching Assistant in AE.

But that’s only the beginning. Emert also donated her time and energy to the Illuminating Engineering Society, ASHRAE, the Student Society of Architectural Engineers, the Society of Women Engineers, and the Engineering Mentoring Program. Outside of engineering, she enjoyed intramural volleyball, working with the College Republicans, and volunteering at the Salvation Army. After graduation, she will join James Posey Associates in Baltimore, MD as an electrical engineer. Congratulations Diane!

AE DEPARTMENT MARKS 150 YEARS OF PENN STATE
On February 22, 2005, the AE Department, along with the whole University, celebrated 150 years of Penn State pride! The AE Department served blue and white cupcakes, Creamery ice cream, and fruit punch, while faculty and students watched an entertaining slide show featuring highlights of Penn State and AE history. Over 200 students participated, and we had such a good time we can’t wait to do it again in five years for the AE 100th anniversary!

PHI ALPHA EPSILON INITIATION CEREMONY
Phi Alpha Epsilon, the AE Honor Society, welcomed 40 new student members to its ranks on March 24, 2005, at a ceremony and luncheon sponsored by the AE Department at the Days Inn Penn State in State College, PA.

SSAE OPTION SOCIAL
The Student Society of Architectural Engineers (SSAE) and the AE Department co-sponsored the annual Options Social on March 21, 2005 at the Nittany Lion Inn. Seven professionals represented the four options (structural, mechanical, lighting/electrical, and construction management) in the AE curriculum. The event included a dinner for the professionals, a panel discussion, and a reception. Everyone who attended found the evening to be very informative and educational.

If you are interested in participating as a professional representative at next year's option social, please contact Nancy Smith in the AE main office to have your name added to the mailing list.

ARCH & LARCH MOVE OUT
The Departments of Architecture and Landscape Architecture began the move this June to their new location at the Stuckeman Family Building for the School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. The two departments were previously housed primarily in Engineering Units C, D and E. Despite the move, the AE Department will continue to work closely with the Architecture Department. Units D and E will be torn down this summer and replaced with a parking lot.

PACE RESEARCH SEMINAR
The 13th annual PACE Research Seminar, “Innovation and Leadership in Changing Construction Markets,” was held on April 20-21, 2005 at the Penn Stater in State College, PA. This year’s seminar also included the initiation of the PACE Construction Hall of Fame. PACE is a collaborative organization of industry innovators, engineering students, and faculty who work together to achieve excellence in the construction industry. The next PACE event is the Roundtable Meeting to be held October 12-13, 2005. More information can be found online at www.engr.psu.edu/pace.