Lee College of Engineering

The Lee College of Engineering’s Department of Engineering Technology and Construction Management will host a Construction Internship and Career Fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 25, in the Barnhardt Student Activity Center Salons.

The fair is held each fall for students and employers in and around the construction industry to network and explore career options. The students are predominately construction management and civil engineering technology majors, but the event is open to all students in the Lee College and UNC Charlotte.

Lee College of Engineering’s Tony Schmitz invests significant time in his students with a goal to “train decision makers.” For his efforts, he was named the 2018 recipient of the Bank of America Award for Teaching Excellence, one of UNC Charlotte’s most prestigious accolades.

Armando Castaneda, a staff member with Mosaic Computing in the Lee College of Engineering, died Sunday, Sept. 2.

Castaneda, a technology support specialist, joined the University in 2008. A veteran in the computer industry with more than 20 years of experience, Castaneda previously worked for the Sun-Sentinel newspaper in South Florida where he was responsible for 600-plus computer users in five locations.

UNC Charlotte staff, faculty and students recently participated in the seventh annual Appalachian Energy Summit, hosted by Appalachian State University. The summit is a gathering of energy and sustainability leaders from higher education and other industries to exchange ideas for improving campus performance in energy, buildings, waste, transport, buildings and curriculum.

UNC Charlotte has received approval to offer a Ph.D. in civil engineering; this is the University’s 24th doctoral program. This new degree will provide doctoral-level education for students seeking civil engineering careers in practice, research and teaching/academia.

Scott Smith, chair of the Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Science Department, received the Outstanding Lifetime Service Award from the North American Manufacturing Research Institution of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (NAMRI/SME) at the 46th annual North American Manufacturing Research Conference (NAMRC) held in College Station, Texas.

The award honors distinguished members for their long-term dedication and contributions to NAMRI/SME.

Engage ME, which stands for Engage Multicultural Engineers, is a relatively new initiative within the Lee College of Engineering; the effort brings together students, faculty, professionals and alumni of all races, cultures and genders.

Tumininu (Tumi) Lawanson recently was named a Young Clean Energy Innovator of the Year by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) at its Intersolar North American ceremony in San Francisco, California.

“Personally, I count it as a privilege and an honor to be recognized as one of two Young Clean Energy Innovators of 2018 by IREC,” said Lawanson. “I am especially grateful for the support of my research advisor, Dr. Valentina Cecchi, and the strong collaborative research environment provided at EPIC and the University.”

A team of Lee College of Engineering students will join competitors from around the world at the 31st annual National Concrete Canoe Competition, being held June 23-25 at San Diego State University.

The UNC Charlotte Astrobotics Robotic Team, the 49er Miners, recently finished third in the Caterpillar Autonomy Award at the 2018 NASA Robotic Mining Competition at Kennedy Space Center.  The team joined an elite group of few schools in the history of the competition to accomplish a fully autonomous mining run (approximately 50 colleges and universities have competed each year for the past nine years).