Letter from the President:
The primary role of the Engineering Alumni Council (EAC) is to coordinate the Engineering Alumni Association's support of the efforts of the Pratt School, its students and alumni. Here is an overview of some of the exciting worthwhile activities that the Engineering Alumni Association is supporting. For more information on the following topics, please go to the Pratt website. As you read through these items, please remember that we need your help!
Student Projects
The Engineering Alumni Association is a primary funding source for the student projects and the associated competitions. Some of these great clubs and projects include:
- Duke University Motorsports: SAE Formula Car
- Duke Robotics: Grand Challenge, Climbing Robot, and Autonomous Underwater Vehicle
- ASME: Concrete Canoe and Steel Bridge
- Engineers Without Borders
- Duke SmartHouse
How you can help:
The first step is paying your Engineering Alumni Association dues and contributing to the Engineering Annual Fund. In addition, each of these student groups need materials and knowledge that you may be able to provide. For example, donations of materials significantly reduce the cost of constructing some of the projects, making the other funds go that much farther. Please contact EAC member Elise Atkins elise@tavve.com).
Award Nominations
The EAC names winners each year for a Distinguished Alumnus Award, Distinguished Young Alumnus Award and Distinguished Service Award. There is a complete list of these impressive people on the Pratt web site.
How you can help:
EAC member Jon Glushik and the nominating committee work hard to identify candidates, but they need your help with nominations. Also, the awards banquet is an enjoyable evening of fellowship honoring the award winners. Please try to attend and share the fun.
Student Life
The Engineering Alumni Association provides funding and personnel to support the following student activities:
- Classroom renovations
- Speaker series
- The Alumni Awards Banquet (which is open to students)
- Reunion Social Hour
- Gift to Engineering Freshmen and Seniors
- Undergraduate Pizza/Ice Cream Socials
How you can help:
DDuke Engineering Alumni have a broad range of knowledge and experience. You may have just what the students need. For example, an EAC President-Elect Doug Cotter team recently provided resume critiques for students following gave an EAC-led lecture on resume preparation and interviewing for student engineers.
PrattWear
Thanks to the efforts of EAC member Babita Deitrich, Duke Stores iswill be providing merchandise licensed by the Pratt School of Engineering. PrattWear is available online at www.shopdukestores.duke.edu (last item on the left-hand menu). Proceeds from each sale will be used to help fund student projects and competitions.
How you can help:
Buy and proudly wear your Pratt shirt or hat!
Your Move
The first step is paying your yearly $35 Engineering Alumni dues. This is an easy way to support activities described here. Remember that the Engineering Association dues are separate and apart from the Engineering Annual Fund and the Duke Annual Fund. You can pay your Engineering Alumni Association dues and make an Engineering Annual Fund donation online here.
Next, think about your experience after Duke and the resources you may have access to. Could you share any of these with the current students? Perhaps you would be interested in serving on the EAC? If so, please contact me or any of the other members of the EAC.
Finally, please consider attending the Awards Banquet, held annually in April. Doing so will give you a first-hand view of the many developments at the Pratt School of Engineering.
See you at the banquet
Doug Cotter E'65
dacotter@aol.com