November 6th, 2009
Old News:
Funding:
- *Still* waiting for dates to fill for concessions stands. More aggressive action will be taken by Rich B. to find the person in charge of scheduling.
- Rich B. called Franklins to make the reservation for Nov 24 but someone had booked the day in the meanwhile. Jan 26 will be the new day, the day after spring classes start. Here is a link to their fundraising rules: http://www.franklinsbrewery.com/fundraisers/.
Lounge:
- Still no new computer for the lounge or a projected date. Rich S. is still on it.
- A new (to us) couch with all its cushions would still be nice. If anyone finds a free one, let us know!
Speaker:
- Dr. Briber (Chair, Prof. Mat. Sci. Dept) will speak in our seminar slot next Friday, 11/13. His topic will be "The Shape of Polymers: From Thin Films to RNA". Abstract is now on the MSE site, http://www.mse.umd.edu/events/index.php?mode=4&id=4486. There will be an MSGS sponsored lunch with Briber from 12noon-1pm before the seminar in CHE1302.
Professional Development:
- DC Materials is meeting Monday, November 23, at the National Radar Museum up in Linthicum, MD. They're also planning a tour of iron work in the National Cathedral on Saturday, November 21. Rich S. will be attending these events, you may arrange to carpool with him, or meet us there!
- Join Material Advantage - ACerS, AIST, ASM, and TMS student program all in one - for only $25/year! http://ceramics.org/member-services/become-a-memberrenew/student-membership/.
Fun things:
- Indoor soccer most Mondays and Thursdays at Cole Fieldhouse, when the field is not in use with other school activities.
- Paintball! Potluck Black Friday (Turkey) Shoot the day after Thanksgiving, Nov 27, 10am to o'dark thirty. RSVP to rsuchosk@umd.edu.
New News:
Speaker:
- Time to start lining up the speaker(s) for next semester! Do you have a topic or particular speaker you would like to see speak here? Drop a line to rsuchosk@umd.edu with your suggestion! Suggested possible future topics: Industrial Counterfeiting (popular), Pb-free Electronics, Fiber Science - Biodegradable Skateboards, Looking at Food as a Material.
Professional development:
- The speaker and topic at the 10/29/2009 DC Materials meeting was phenomenal! They talked about industrial counterfeiting and how on average 10% of all parts of counterfeit, upwards of 60% for "new" computer components!
- Another useful society to join is the Materials Research Society, MRS, which among its benefits provides discounts to meetings and workshops and a subscription to MRS Bulletin for $30/year. http://www.mrs.org/s_mrs/join.asp?CID=10&DID=15.
Outreach:
- Adventures in Science (AIS) at NIST in Gaithersburg, MD, needs your help to develop new materials-themed programs and to teach them to the kids. Contact rsuchosk@umd.edu if interested.
Fun things:
- Reserving the indoor soccer field most Mondays and Thursdays at Cole Fieldhouse needs to be taken by someone other than Rich S. Norvik volunteered. Even if we do not obtain the reservation for the field we can still show up and see if the people who did sign up need more people.
- Rock climbing Earth Treks in Rockville. Date in the future to be set by Rich B.
- Skydiving in the spring?
Next meeting:
- Friday, November 20, 12 noon, CHE1302. Before then is the MSGS sponsored lunch for our speaker next Friday, November 13, 12 noon, CHE1302. See you then!
October 23, 2009
Funding:
- *Still* waiting for dates to fill for concessions stands. More aggressive action will be taken by Rich B. to find the person in charge of scheduling.
- Rich B. talked about funding opportunities at Franklin's: We would receive 20% of gross. Only on Mondays and Tuesdays. Tues Nov 24 no one ever takes that date since undergrads are gone, but we’re grads, so we will aim for that day, Rich B. will reserve it for us. Groups may do only one per calendar year. The duration is all day, can go for lunch + dinner. Includes alcohol, but not at the bar, have to eat in the restaurant. Can’t solicit in the parking lot or we will forfeit the money.
Lounge:
- Still no word on when the new computer for the lounge is really coming. Rich S. is still trying to pin down a date from Glenn in EIT (they have been very busy moving people around in Kim).
- The previously mentioned printer, an HP Laserjet, is now in the lounge and can be connected via USB to a laptop. Same for the scanner which just showed this meeting.
- The box of ceramic bowls, dishes, and mugs by the chalkboard have gone to a better place at Goodwill.
- A new couch with all its cushions would still be nice. If anyone finds a free one, let us know!
Speaker:
- Dr. Briber will speak in our seminar slot for 11/13. His topic will be "The Shape of Polymers: From Thin Films to RNA". There will be an MSGS sponsored lunch with Briber from 12noon-1pm before the seminar in CHE1302.
Professional development:
- DC Materials is meeting on October 29, at 3601 Wilson, Arlington, VA, topic is Industrial Counterfeiting of things like ball bearings to spaceflight components.
RSVP: Toni Marechaux marechaux@gmail.com
Price: $20 for Members, $10 for Students
Time: Reception & Dinner 6:30-8pm;
Lecture: 8-8:30pm; Q&A: 8:30-9pm
Venue: The Executive Conference Center 3601 Wilson Boulevard Suite 600, Arlington, Virginia 22201. (building entrance is located at 850 N. Monroe Street)
Also, they are meeting on Monday, November 23, at the National Radar Museum up in Linthicum, MD. They're also planning a tour of iron work in the National Cathedral on Saturday, November 21. Rich S. will be attending these events, you may arrange to carpool with him, or meet us there!
- Join Material Advantage - ACerS, AIST, ASM, and TMS student program - for only $25/year! http://ceramics.org/member-services/become-a-memberrenew/student-membership/
Outreach:
- Adventures in Science (AIS) at NIST in Gaithersburg, MD, needs help Saturday, Nov 7, 9.30 - 11.30! More dates to come in the future. Contact rsuchosk@umd.edu if interested.
- Physics is Phun is this Thursday, Friday and Saturday starting at 6pm! Come brush up on your basic physics and receive pizza! Volunteer info at http://www.physics.umd.edu/PhysPhun/Flyer-09-10.pdf.
(6-6:30 pizza + soda, 6:30-7 demo explanation to volunteers, 7-7:30 volunteers demo to individual audience members, 7:30-8:30 program [optional])
Fun things:
- Indoor soccer most Mondays and Thursdays at Cole Fieldhouse, when the field is not in use with other school activities.
- Paintball! Potluck Black Friday (Turkey) Shoot the day after Thanksgiving, Nov 27, 10am to o'dark thirty. RSVP to rsuchosk@umd.edu.
- Rock climbing at Earth Treks! Fridays seem generally good. Something more organized in the future via Rich B.
Next meeting:
- Friday, November 6, 12 noon, CHE1302. See you then!
October 9th, 2009
Meetings:
- In order to have enough pizza at meetings for everyone who shows, pizza needs to be subsidized, instead of paid in full, by MSGS to be continued to be offered at meetings. In terms of cost per area of pizza, Ratsie's menu price wins over Papa John's specials, plus Ratsie's has offered to give one topping per pizza free! Alternatives: Not have pizza, which was not a popular idea. Increase dues to $15 for the rest of the semester to cover the pizza. Collect money two days before the meeting to order. We settled on ordering 2 cheese, 2 pepperoni, 1 veggie pizza per meeting and to pay at the door.
The details: An 18" pizza cut to 8 slices works out to ~$1.85/slice including tax. MSGS will pitch in $.85/slice, leaving $1/slice to be covered by whoever wants however many slices.
Funding:
- Still waiting for dates to fill for concessions stands.
- California Tortilla done in the past, Noodles and Co., and
Franklin's are possibilities. Erin is checking out California
Tortilla and Noodles and Co., Rich B. is checking out Franklin's.
Lounge:
- The new computer is coming! Really! Rich S. is in contact with
Glenn in EIT. The new estimate is to have the old computers hauled
out and new computer installed by the next meeting.
- The previously mentioned printer, an HP Laserjet, is now in the
lounge and can be connected via USB to a laptop. The scanner has yet
to show.
- Someone please claim the box of ceramic bowls, dishes, and mugs by
the chalkboard. If they are still there by the next meeting, Rich S.
is going to take them to Goodwill.
- A new couch with all its cushions would still be nice. If anyone
finds a free one, let us know!
Speaker:
- At the suggestion from last meeting Dr. Briber was asked and has accepted to speak in our speaker slot for 11/13. His topic will be "The Shape of Polymers: From Thin Films to RNA". There will be lunch (with Briber?) from 12noon-1pm before the seminar in che1302.
Professional development:
- DC Materials is meeting on October 29, at 3601 Wilson, Arlington,
VA, topic is Industrial Counterfeiting of things like ball bearings to
spaceflight components. Also, they are meeting on November 23 at the
National Radar Museum up in Linthicum, MD. They're also planning a
tour of iron work in the National Cathedral on a Saturday in November.
Rich S. will be attending these events, you may arrange to carpool
with him or meet us there!
- Rich B. is on the committee for making meetings in DC Materials,
Zane tells us they want us to team up with the undergrads as well.
Materials Advantage is worth it, $25/year, they chipped in $500 for a
conference trip for Zane! More details for Material Advantage, the
ACerS, AIST, ASM and TMS student program, at
http://ceramics.org/member-services/become-a-memberrenew/student-membership/.
Outreach:
- The 30th year of Adventures in Science (AIS) at NIST in
Gaithersburg, MD, is starting Saturday, Nov 7, 9.30 - 11.30. Come
practice teaching and presentation skills in a friendly environment
before it is thrust upon you in a job! Be a direct part of
encouraging future scientists and see the enlightenment of learning in
their eyes! A sign-up sheet will start next meeting. Bring ideas for
projects next meeting!
Fun things:
- Indoor soccer Mondays and Thursdays at Cole Field House.
- C&O canal bike trip with Erin + Ernie most likely in October.
Message to go out to the listserv if it is still on.
- Paintball! Potluck Black Friday (Turkey) Shoot the day after
Thanksgiving, Nov 27, 10am to o'dark thirty. RSVP to
rsuchosk@umd.edu.
- GSG Kickball! Notice to be sent out to the listserv if a team is forming.
Next meeting:
- October 23, 12 noon, CHE1302. See you then!
September 10th, 2009
Lounge:
- Food and/or money is missing from the lounge. We spent the entire summer with no profit. We are now keeping a closer eye on money spent and money taken in.
- The chip/cookie/bar ratio needs to be improved as there are mostly chips now.
- String cheese is popular once again, it will be bought.
- A new computer is coming as soon as IT brings it over. Does anyone have a printer they would like to donate?
- Cleaning the carpet is not a bad idea and is being looked into.
- Everyone be on the lookout for a new couch on Freecycle or the like so we may have a couch without a missing cushion.
Speaker:
We have a speaker slot to fill this semester on 11/13. Takeuchi and Seog are running this semester’s series, Takeuchi said he would like to see a grad student fill the slot, but ultimately it is up to us as a society. E-mail Rich S., rsuchosk@umd.edu, with suggestions for this semester and bring suggestions for next semester to the next meeting.
Funding:
Basketball concessions are good to work and are worth the trouble of organizing 15-20 people 4 times during the semester since it can bring $1000+ to the group. It is being looked into.
Outreach:
Adventures In Science (AIS) is coming soon! We usually spend 9:30-11:15 Saturday mornings at NIST in Gaithersburg administering hands-on science projects for middle schoolers. This year there may be a College Park chapter instead. More details to follow as the semester progresses.
Fun things:
- Erin is looking into football tailgating parties.
- Grad Pub is this Friday at Mulligan’s Grill and Pub. Details at http://www.gsg.umd.edu/grad-pub.
- Rich S. is hosting paintball at his house Sunday, September 20. http://www.maileman.com/paintball for details and RSVP to rsuchosk@umd.edu.
