Permanent link for Workshop on literature search and Zotero on April 3, 2025

Thursday, April 10th from 10:30 - 11:30 am in KEN 122, librarian Sandra Teft will be talking about how to do an effective literature search and the use of Zotero for organizing references.

She will first talk about different search techniques, various engineering subject guides, and demonstrate a couple of databases including Pubmed. 

Next, she will go over Zotero so make sure to have the software downloaded:  Download Zotero, Word Plugin, Using Zotero with Google Docs.

For anyone working on final semester projects, master's thesis or project work, writing an abstract or paper for a conference, or just wanting to learn how to do a bibliography- this hands-on workshop might be worth checking out.

Posted by Samhita Rhodes on Permanent link for Workshop on literature search and Zotero on April 3, 2025.

Permanent link for Graduate Assistantships for SS25, F25, and W26 on March 28, 2025

The Graduate Committee is finalizing GAs for SS25, F25, and W26.

Current students: please send me an email if you'd like to be considered for funding AND indicate the semesters for which you are requesting GA funding. Note that you must be in Good Academic Standing (i.e. cumulative GPA >= 3.0) to be considered for funding.

New students (admitted for F25): you will be informed about funding for F25 by April 4th 2025.  

Posted by Samhita Rhodes on Permanent link for Graduate Assistantships for SS25, F25, and W26 on March 28, 2025.

Permanent link for Registration! on March 12, 2025

It's that time of the year to come talk to me about the classes you intend to take for S/S25, F25, and W26. Attached are the schedules (let me know if I got any wrong or I'm missing any classes) Remember, I have regularly scheduled office hours for in-person meetings only on Mondays from 2 - 4 pm and on Wednesdays from 9 - 10:30 am that you are welcome to come to.

In addition, you can schedule time to meet at: https://gvsu.edu/s/34v. If you need to meet via zoom, use the link to reserve a time slot, then shoot me an email so I can send you a zoom link.

Things to remember:

• If you're planning on taking EGR 699, the syllabus needs to be approved by the grad committee before they can be scheduled. So for SS25 AND F25, those approvals need to be done in this semester, i.e. W25.
• Combined students cannot take EGR 604 and do not need to take EGR 600. Appropriate substitutions will be made in myPath during graduation audits.
• You must have at least 33 credits of 5xx and 6xx classes for the MSE.
• Only 3 EGR 5xx courses may count towards your MSE degree.
• If you are planning to sign up for EGR 685: Graduate Practicum OR EGR 699: Experiential Learning, send me a copy of your offer letter and I can give you a permit.
• EGR 695 and 693 credits are by permit only so look at the appropriate section on the Student Resources page that walks you through how to request those.

Posted by Samhita Rhodes on Permanent link for Registration! on March 12, 2025.

Permanent link for Employer Showcase - Tekton, Tuesday, March 11 on March 10, 2025

Tekton  will be on campus tomorrow, Tuesday, March 11, from 12pm - 4pm. They are recruiting for interns, co-ops, and graduate employment. Please stop by the lobby of Kennedy to speak with them while you are on campus! Email taniset@gvsu.edu with any questions.

Posted by Samhita Rhodes on Permanent link for Employer Showcase - Tekton, Tuesday, March 11 on March 10, 2025.

Permanent link for Updates about resumes, grants, and graduations on February 21, 2025

Hi everyone, 

A few things to remind you of today:

1. Please make sure to get me your resume so I can include it in the Graduate Talent portfolio to send out to companies. Thanks to those who sent their resumes to me already.
2. If you're looking for some funding for your Thesis then consider applying for the Presidential Research Grant. Applications are due March 1st and you can receive $1500 towards your capstone work.
3. If you're getting ready to finish up this semester, here is a non-exhaustive checklist that you should definitely look at!
   • Did you attend a Thesis/Project workshop?
   • Did you submit a Thesis/Project Committee Formation Form for review to the Engineering Graduate Committee? Did you get confirmation about approval from the Graduate Program Director?
   • Did you check the deadlines for defending your Thesis/Project for the semester?
   • For EGR 695 only: Did you also get confirmation from the Graduate School of the approval or your Thesis Committee?
   • Did you contact Allyson Albrecht to reserve a room for your defense date at least a week in advance?
   • For EGR 695 only: Did you send your thesis information to Allyson Albrecht so she could get the announcements out at least a week in advance?
   • For EGR 695 only: Is your Thesis documentation is an approved style as required by the Graduate School?
   • Did you apply to graduate?

Go out and enjoy the sunshine and the positively balmy weather!

Posted by Samhita Rhodes on Permanent link for Updates about resumes, grants, and graduations on February 21, 2025.

Permanent link for Conferences, internships, and resumes on February 11, 2025

Hi all:

1. Please send me an updated copy of your resume to include in a Graduate Engineering talent portfolio to send to potential employers. Resumes should be sent by 5:00 pm Friday, February 21st.
2. Disher is looking for an engineering intern so you can apply here.
3. Consider attending the Career Fair Prep Night happening this evening from 5:30-7:30 pm at DeVos 105E (Hager-Lubbers). You can find out more and register here.
4. 9th Roger That! Conference about space and communication will take place this Friday and Saturday at GVSU and GRPM so check it out and sign up to attend here.

That's all for now! Remember, my office hours are Monday from 2 - 4 pm and Wednesday from 9 - 10:30 am so stop by my office in KEN 253 to chat!

Posted by Samhita Rhodes on Permanent link for Conferences, internships, and resumes on February 11, 2025.

Permanent link for Money for Thesis Projects! on January 31, 2025

Hi all and welcome to the 75th day of January!! Could this month BE any longer?! But tomorrow is February so happy days! Here are a few things to bring to your attention:

1) Students enrolled in EGR 695 Master's Thesis, the Graduate Committee can fund your projects to a max of $300 per student so get in your requests to me NOW! The committee reviews the requests and approved funds are distributed on a first come first served basis until they run out.

2) Students submitting abstracts to conferences remember that you can apply for funding your travel to the conference with the Academic Conference Fund here. The fund will pay up to $600 for domestic and $800 for international travel provided you are the primary presenter. Current students, or recent graduates (within two semesters) whose research was accepted for presentation prior to graduation, are eligible to apply.

3) In addition, the Graduate Committee has funds to support student travel to conferences to a max of $300 per student - all you have to do is send me an email with your request so the committee can review. Current students, or recent graduates (within two semesters) whose research was accepted for presentation prior to graduation, are eligible to apply.

Have a great weekend!

Posted by Samhita Rhodes on Permanent link for Money for Thesis Projects! on January 31, 2025.

Permanent link for MLK day and more on January 18, 2025

A few things to bring to your attention:

• Monday, Jan 20th is Martin Luther King Jr Day and there will be no classes. There will be a number of events all next week to commemorate the legacy of Dr King so check those out here.
• Need a portable tire inflator? A clothes steamer? A step ladder? The Library of Things is a collection of non-traditional materials including gadgets, tools, games, electronics and more - all available to check out for free with your GVSU ID for a one-time project. Check out the collection and all the Things you can borrow here! 
• Dates for the Graduate School's Thesis workshops have been released so students taking EGR 695 OR EGR 693, please make plans to attend at least one of these mandatory workshops. Details and registration information can be found here.
• If you'd like some motivation and dedicated time to work on your Thesis or Project, consider attending the Writing Center's Thesis Boost immersive writing workshop on Feb 22nd & 23rd. Many of your seniors have found the experience rewarding and have got a head start on their thesis or project write up during that weekend. There is a $50 fee that will be covered by the Graduate School if you attend the entire session so it's a win-win. Find out more here.
• Last but not least - bundle up because it's going to get COLD out there next week! Wear multiple layers, cover your face, hands, and ears to retain heat, and don't stay outdoors for more than 30 minutes to limit your exposure to cold temperatures. 

Stay warm Lakers!

Posted by Samhita Rhodes on Permanent link for MLK day and more on January 18, 2025.

Permanent link for Happy first week of classes! on January 8, 2025

Welcome to Winter 25 semester! Just a few things for you to begin the semester:

1. My Winter 25 office hours are from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm on Mondays and 9:00 – 10:30 am on Wednesday in-person (KEN 253) so please stop by if you have any questions or just to say hello. If you need help outside of office hours please stop by and knock on the door – I’m happy to chat if I’m not in class or in a meeting! I’m also available outside of office hours via zoom if necessary.
2. Friday, January 10^th  at 5:00 pm is the deadline to add or drop classes without penalty! After that there will be a fee and extra paperwork!
3. Students beginning a thesis or project this semester i.e. those signed up for their first EGR 695 or EGR 693 credits –
   • the Graduate School will be holding workshops that go through the capstone process in detail so please sign up for one of them. Attendance at one of these is mandatory and they are super informative too. Information can be found here.
   • You must have the Thesis/Project Committee form reviewed and approved by the engineering Graduate Committee. You will fill this out with your Thesis/Project advisor, get your committee signatures, and send it to me. The graduate committee will review it and when it’s approved I will submit the EGR 695 forms on your behalf to the Graduate School (EGR 693 are kept in the School of Engineering). Form is two pages and can be found in the Student Resources section.
4. Students getting ready to finish up your EGR 695 or EGR 693 this semester – congratulations! A few things to keep in mind:
   • Watch the deadline dates for defending and submitting your Thesis (EGR 695) to the Graduate School. These are the same dates to defend and submit your Project (EGR 693) to the School of Engineering.
   • Follow these guidelines when writing your Thesis/Project – use the appropriate title page template (MSE Student Resources), watch formatting, make sure all the sections are included and complete etc.
   • All Theses ONLY are publicly defended so you MUST work with Allyson Albrecht to schedule a date, reserve a room, and send out the announcement at least 1 week BEFORE you plan on defending.
   • After your defense you will address any questions or concerns your committee brings up and get their signatures on the appropriate final approval forms (see attached) before submitting to the Dean (EGR 695) or me (EGR 693). Once all the signatures are in, your advisor will update the grades for ALL your EGR 695/693 credits from X to PS or PD indicating successful completion.
5. International students please note the following:
   • You must be signed up for 9 credits unless you are in your last semester OR you are taking your culminating experience credits i.e. EGR 693/ EGR 695, or EGR 686 OR you are doing experiential learning credits (EGR 699 Experiential Learning 1 credit or EGR 685 Graduate Practicum).
   • Of those 9 credits, 6 must be in-person and 3 may be online. A hybrid class is counted as in-person if it meets in person at least 25% of the time i.e. 4 weeks in a standard 16 week semester.
6. Remember, there are a number of student support centers on campus you all have access to – writing center, career center, counseling center etc. So check them out here.
7. The engineering graduate committee consists of Dr Heidi Jiao, Dr Nabeeh Kandalaft, Dr Farid Jafari, Dr Abishek Balsamy-Kamaraj, and myself so feel free to reach out to any of us with questions. We meet every week on Monday from 9 am – 10 am.

Posted by Samhita Rhodes on Permanent link for Happy first week of classes! on January 8, 2025.

Permanent link for Finals week and break on December 8, 2024

Finals week starts on Monday, December 8th - good luck everyone! Hope all your exams and final projects and presentations and papers go smoothly!

I will be out of the country from Dec 15th - Jan 1st so a few things to keep in mind:

1) make sure you have registered for classes for W25! This includes Project and Thesis credits, Independent Study credits, anything you may need a permit for, get those requests in to me before Dec 15th otherwise all will need to wait until I get back stateside in 2025.

2) Students signing up for your first credits of EGR 693/695, send me an email copying your thesis or project advisor with the number of credits of 693/695 you want to take next semester. I will ask Johanna to open a section and give you a permit to register.

3) Students who need to sign up for EGR 696 continuation credit - send me an email copying your advisor and I will give you a permit. There's only one section of EGR 696 in my name so that's what you will register for.

Have a successful finals week, and a peaceful break! Happy holidays to all who celebrate, and a very happy new year to you and your families!

Posted by Samhita Rhodes on Permanent link for Finals week and break on December 8, 2024.