ASME to Honor Helen Reed with the Kate Gleason Award

ASME to Honor Helen Reed with the Kate Gleason Award ASME to Honor Helen Reed with the Kate Gleason Award ASME to Honor Helen Reed with the Kate Gleason Award Sept. 9, 2016 Helen Louise Reed Helen Louise Reed, Ph.D., P.E., professor of aerospace engineering at Texas AM University, will be recognized by ASME for zu sich engineering accomplishments this November at the Societys annual Honors Assembly in Phoenix, Ariz. Dr. Reed will receive the ASME Kate Gleason Award for lifetime achievement in the fundamental understanding and control of boundary layer transition for high-efficiency aerospace vehicles, and in pioneering small satellite design and implementation.This year, the Honors Assembly - one of the highlights of the annual ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition (IMECE) - will take place a day earlier than usual. The multi-media celebration of engineering innovation will be held on Sunday, Nov. 13 from 700 p.m. to 800 p.m., at the Phoenix Convention Center.The Kate Gleason Award, which was established in 2011, recognizes female engineers who are either highly successful entrepreneurs in a field of engineering or who have had a lifetime of achievement in the engineering profession. The award pays tribute to the legacy of Kate Gleason, an accomplished engineer and businesswoman and the first woman to become a full member of ASME.Reed, who is an ASME Fellow, is currently Regents Professor, Presidential Professor for Teaching Excellence and holder of the Edward Pete Aldridge 60 Professorship at Texas AM. Reed has nearly 40 years of experience in physics-based understanding of the receptivity, stability and transition of boundary layers as they relate to high-altitude long-endurance unmanned vehicles, transports, and hypersonic trans-atmospheric vehicles. An established expert in the areas of hypersonics, energy efficient aircraft and small satellite design, Reed became a member of the Texas AM faculty in 200 4, and served as head of the aerospace engineering department for four years before returning full-time to teaching and research. Before joining Texas AM, Reed held positions at Arizona State University, Tohuku University in Japan, Stanford University, Sandia National Laboratories and the NASA Langley Research Center.Reed has held a number of volunteer positions during her mora than 30 years as a Society member, including chair and member of the Applied Mechanics Divisions (AMD) Fluid Mechanics Technical Committee, chair and vice chair of the divisions Junior Awards Committee and ASMEs AMD liaison on the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Technical Committee on Fluid Dynamics. She has also received numerous honors during her distinguished career, including the J. Leland Lee Atwood Award from AIAA and the American Society for Engineering Education in 2007 a Presidential Young Investigator Award and a Faculty Award for Women in Science and Engineeri ng from the National Science Foundation in 1991 and 1984, respectively and an Outstanding Achievement Award in 1978 from the NASA Langley Research Center. She has also been the recipient of a number of distinguished teaching awards from Texas AM and Arizona State.A registered professional engineer in the state of Texas, Reed received a bachelors degree in mathematics from Goucher College in Baltimore, Md., in 1977. She earned a masters degree and a Ph.D. in engineering mechanics from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in 1980 and 1981, respectively. The ASME Foundation is the proud supporter of the ASME Honors and Awards program through the management of award endowment funds set up by individuals, corporations or groups. For more information on the special events scheduled to take place at IMECE 2016, visit www.asme.org/events/imece.

5 ways to grow your leadership skills this summer

5 ways to grow your leadership skills this summer5 ways to grow your leadership skills this summerIts summer, so schools out, right? Think again your career never takes a break, even when 80-something temperatures tempt you outside and out-of-offices take over your inbox. Most industries slow down in the months between May and August, making it the ideal time to double-down on your own personal growth as an executive (or a c-level hopeful).As career expert for TopResume Amanda Augustine explains, to be a good leader you need to have exceptional communication skills, be able to creatively solve problems, and possess an ability to motivate those around you - to personenname a few things.And while you may be a superstar in some of these areas, you cant win at everything right off the bat. Thats why its recommended to take the longer days as an opportunity to expand your knowledge. Here, a few expert-driven ways to grow your leadership skills this summerOrganize a summer sports gruppeTh ough its been a while since you were on a varsity team, the feel-good endorphins that come with exercise and camaraderie. Augustine says organizing fun, active outdoor activities in the summer for you, your friends and your team can do more than work up your heart rate, it can also ignite some rusty leadership skills you havent considered lately.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreStarting a sports team gives you a chance to work on your organization, communication, and leadership skills throughout the process, she explains. Depending on your location, you can book events through ZogSports or Rivall, or just head to the park and do your own thing.Prioritize networkingWhen rooftop hangs are the norm, why not add an element of professional socializing? Career expert Wendi Weiner says summer is ideal for leaders to build their network and improve their relationships with clients or te am members.Because it is generally a more relaxed period, summer Fridays, happy hours and plenty of event invites allow your calendar to be filled with fun - but also effective - mingling. Internally, she says you could even consider a more strategic open door policy to welcome anyone-and-everyone to come and discuss the company and goals with you. This will create that summer mindset all year-round.Take a classIf youre a parent, how much do you push your school-aged kids to keep reading, even in the summer? Or monitor their screentime to ensure theyre actually using that noggin? Definitely, more than you challenge yourself to study like you did in college or high school. With long flights, beach vacays and plenty of time to dive into a lengthy topic, Augustine suggests booking yourself into a class this season.You may find it surprisingly easier to fit in that online course youve been meaning to take for months, while your workload is somewhat lighter and many people are out of t he office for vacation. Thanks to the plethora of sites and apps available, you can easily improve your business writing skills at your own pace and while youre on the go, she explains.Not sure where to start, take a gander through sites like Envato Tuts+, Coursera, Udemy, edX, GoSkills, Lynda.com, and SkillShare to find the right class to help improve any number of skills that will make you a better and stronger leader, she recommends.Practice better communicationFounder and CEO of The Lonely Entrepreneur, Michael Dermer says there are a handful of must-haves for effective, empowering leaders. Two of these are emotional intelligence and communication - both skills that you can use the summer to focus your energy toward. With EI, you can book 11 meetings with your team members to really understand their passions and how to best manage them.Great leaders take into account the factors that drive people and the circumstances they are operating in. Every situation requires a different action and understanding when to apply what solution is an invaluable skill for leaders, he explains.VolunteerEveryone has a cause that ignites your spirit and makes them want to revolutionize change. In addition to donating money, giving the gift of your time can also be an effective way to make a difference. And, in turn, teach you more about leadership. As Augustine explains, hands-on, team-building experiences force you to think critically and strategically, often in real-time. Another way to help is to use your expertise for the greater good.Look for skills-based volunteer opportunities that will also allow you to leverage the skills youve built up during your career, she explains. This may be pro-bono social media work, free blogs for charities or even accounting. If you need help finding a non-profit, Augustine says to look on Catchafire, VolunteerMatch, AllForGood, and CreateTheGood, and HandsOnNetwork for help.

Receiving Feedback With Grace and Dignity

Receiving Feedback With Grace and DignityReceiving Feedback With Grace and DignityAre you interested in hearing about how others view your work and your contribution? If you are, make it easy for them to tell you. If they think youll appreciatively consider their feedback, youll get lots more. And, that is a good thing, really. Thoughtful feedback helps you grow both personally and professionally. Accurate feedback helps you with your lifelong career development, too. Its a gift that people who care about your personal and professional success can provide. But, theyll only provide feedback if you are approachable and allow them to feel comfortable giving you the feedback. Once they are rebuffed, argued with, or subjected to your defensive behavior, coworkers and bosses are less likely to approach you again with helpful feedback. In the case of coworkerswho have the saatkorn goals and direction as you, this is sad, as you all need to pull together for the good of the group. In the cas e of your boss, your defensiveness is even sadder. This is the person from whom you need to welcome feedback. Its difficult enough to be a manager who is in a position wherein he or she must provide feedback- and its already an uncomfortable role for many because they are untrained and ill-prepared. You would do well notlage to make the situation even more difficult for your boss. How to Receive Feedback These are the steps you need to take to receive feedback with grace and dignity. Try to control your defensiveness. Fear of hurting you or having to deal with defensive or justifying behavior make people hesitant to give feedback to someone else. If you can create an aura of approachability, people are more likely to return with more feedback. Defensiveness, anger, justifying and excuse-making will ensure that coworkers and bosses are uncomfortable giving you feedback.Listen to understand. Practice all of the skills of an effective listenerincludingusing body language and facial expressions that encourage the other person to talk. Try to suspend judgment. After all, in learning the views of the feedback provider, you learn about yourself and how your actions are interpreted and seen in the world. Noted consultant and author, Tom Peters, in a well-known quote, said, Perception is all there is. Thats true for your career growth and progress. How the world views you is an opportunity for continued growth.Summarize and reflect what you hear. Your feedback provider will appreciate that you are really hearing what they are saying. Rather than using the little voice in your brain to argue, deny, or formulate your response, focus on making sure that you understand the point of view you are receiving. You are also determining the validity of what you are really hearing. Ask questions to clarify. Focus on questions to make sure that you understand the feedback. Once again, focus on understanding the feedback you are receiving, not on your next response.Ask for examp les and stories that illustrate the feedback, so you know that you share meaning with the person providing feedback.Just because a person gives you feedback, doesnt mean their feedback is right or widely shared by other coworkers and bosses. Remember that they see your actions but interpret them through their own perceptual screen and life experiences. Be approachable. People avoid giving feedback to those people who aregrumpy and dismissive. Your openness to feedback is evident through your body language, facial expressions, and welcoming manner. You can also request feedback verbally asking questions such as, John, how did I do on that presentation? Was I clear?Check with others to determine the reliability of the feedback you have received. If only one person believes it about you, it may be just about him or her, not you. This is a major step as you always have the choice about whether to accept feedback and do something about it- or not. Remember, only you have the right and th e ability to decide what to do with the feedback you have received. It is up to you to check it out with others, seek out examples, and then, decide if the feedback is worth doing something about. Tips for Gracefully Receiving Feedback Here are additional communication tips about how to receive feedback with grace and dignity. Try to show your appreciation to the person providing the feedback. Theyll feel encouraged and believe it or not, you do want to encourage feedback.Even your manager or supervisor finds providing feedback scary. They never know how the person receiving feedback is going to react.If you find yourself becoming defensive or hostile, practice stress management techniques such as taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly.Focusing on understanding the feedback by questioning and restating usually defuses any feelings you have of hostility or anger. If you really disagree, are angry or upset, and want to dissuade the other person of their opinion, wait until your emotions are under control to reopen the discussion at a later date. Doing this at the moment of feedback is rampant with the potential for the whole conversation to fail.