Last week, the MESS hosted a career panel featuring both upperclassmen and alumni to give freshmen insight and advice from those who have been in their shoes. The event had a great turn out!

The MESS’ own Lindsay Evans has been featured in a UDaily article, talking about her summer internship at Independence Prosthetics-Orthotics. Check it out here: http://www.udel.edu/udaily/2014/sep/prosthetics-orthotics-090513.html

The Mechanical Engineering Student Squad is very excited to launch our second year!

This year, we have increased our membership from 22 to 39 students. With our increased manpower, we are thrilled to be able to reach even more high school students with new and veteran outreach presentations.

Last week, the MESS conducted an Open House for the incoming freshmen. Representatives from many student organizations were present, including Engineers Without Borders, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Society of Automotive Engineers, Sigma Phi Delta, and Alpha Omega Epsilon. The freshmen enjoyed refreshments and camaraderie with their fellow mechanical engineers.

Check out our Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheMESSUDel

The MESS would like to feature our seniors before they leave us for the real world!

Dhara Amin:

Dhara Amin has a master plan after graduation to execute the perfect heist. She plans to ensure her partners are indistinguishable from whomever happens to be in the bank at the time of the robbery, rendering police action impotent. Her brilliance doesn’t end there! She allows the hostage crisis to go on long enough for her crew to build a “hidey-hole” for herself inside the bank until the heat dies down, with the plan to walk out the front door while Dhara’s cohorts walk out as “hostages”.

Anna D’Alessio:

Anna is the Membership officer for the MESS, president of the engineering sorority (A.O.E.), and the UD chapter of ASME, along with being a member of SWE. Anna will be leaving us to pursue a PhD in mechanical engineering at UC Berkeley. A fun fact about Anna: she has spent every winter session abroad.

Matt Durst:

After graduation, Matt Durst is participating in a 2-year rotational program at United Technologies Corporation (UTC) called the Operations Leadership Program. His first 8-month rotation will be at Pratt & Whitney as a Quality Engineer. During his undergrad years he was involved in the MESS, BHA (tour guide), worked in the admission office, and a member of the club cycling team. He also was a TA for MEEG112, MEEG202, and MEEG216. An interesting fact about Durst: This summer he is excited to sit in a tube and float down the Farmington River by his house with friends.

Derek Herr:

Ok… so let’s start:

I thought I would throw some keywords that would describe what I like to do. If you recognize yourself in some of them, I think it might be worth taking the time to keep on reading my profile. If you don’t keep on reading, I swear I won’t be upset with you. I will never know anyway.

Travel, surprises, music, dancing, sports, books, last minute plans, open mind, photography, craziness, spontaneity, going out (but also staying in), sharing, simplicity, respect, flip flops (yes, the sandals), down to earth (however fantasy is also very important), people, and casual.

Now a short list of things that I’m not really fond of: Cars (can’t tell why I put this one first…)
, self-centered people (but, hey… Have you already heard anybody say, “yes, yes, I am definitely self-centered.” So this one doesn’t really count!!)
, Excessive work out/complete body addiction
, and superficial people (but same problem as #2…)

If you happen to pronounce the following sentences regularly, we’re definitely increasing the chance of a good match here:
“Ok let’s give it a try”

And last (I promise), if you think that Paris is the most beautiful city in the world, I think you should tell our parents to get ready for the wedding
I am crazy, stupid, and charming.

Jacob Hersh:

After graduation Jacob Hersh will work for W.L. Gore & Associates as a design engineer. Hersh was valuable member of the MESS. Fun fact about Jacob: his favorite sport is golf and enjoys wakeboarding.

Michael Marando:

My heart’s been broken and I want to find someone who cam help me pick up the pieces and put my soul back together. My girl is tall, has red hair/green eyes, and is my ex-girlfriend Lily. Lily! If you are on here, message me!!! If you are not Lily, but you think you have what it takes to make me fall in love, don’t be scared, message me!!!

Jen Moye:

Jen Moye will be working as a sales analyst for LifeCell, a medical device company headquartered in Branchburg, NJ after graduation. She was involved with alumni relations in the MESS. A Jen Moye fun fact: she and her sister were born on the same day, just three years apart.

Michael Pfeiffer:

Pfeif enjoys mentoring younger students and is a peer mentoring officer for the MESS, as well as a member of ASME. In the past, he interned at the Navy Yard in Philadelphia and Lockheed Martin. A fun fact about Pfeif: In his free time, he helps his former high school’s robotics team.

Seniors, Junior, Sophomores having a blast destroying freshman’s’ design project while enjoying burgers, hot dogs, and beverages.

The MESS is excited to announce that we are now accepting applications to join! Applications are due by May 1st.
https://delaware.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_bNNRtEom4iCHVL7

The MESS helped the Department give tours and answer questions from prospective students during UD’s annual Decision Days. Approximately 40 families spent 1.5 hours touring Spencer Lab and getting questions answered from professors and current students. The event was a great success, and we look forward to doing it again next week!

MESS members called Class of 2017 freshmen recruits this week to encourage them to come to UD’s Mechanical Engineering program. MESS members Kate Ordemann, Eli Gorman, Jen Moye, Anna D’Alessio, and Mike Marando along with Prof. Buckley called almost 90 students to tell them why they should come to UD-ME. Good news is a lot of these recruits are coming! Thanks to all MESS members who helped with this campaign.

Earlier this month, MESS members Eli and Jess did the Mechanical Engineering presentation for Engineering 101 (hosted by the engineering sorority, Alpha Omega Epsilon). The event was for local high school girls that have an interest in STEM. Eli and Jess talked to the students about Mechanical Engineering and how it can be applied to many different areas–including biomedical, robotics and controls, aerospace, green energy, and materials. They showed a video for each topic and conducted a hands-on activity to demonstrate the difference between treated and untreated Kevlar.

The MESS recently visited two of Mr. Griswold’s 10th grade classes at Cape Henlopen High School, where our members conducted bridge design competitions with the students. Be sure to check out the pictures, these high schoolers definitely look like budding engineers!