Congratulations to our student assistants, Rachel and Jarod!
They are both graduating this December and we are so excited for them!
Congratulations, Rachel! Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies, University of Iowa Class of 2019. Photo courtesy of Ashley Freeman.
Rachel Henkle has been working with us for three and half years as a Student Assistant, and we are going to miss her smiling face! She is getting her degree in communications and would like to end up in event planning, Human Resources, or in an administrative position. During her time here at the University, she enjoyed being part of the leadership for the On Iowa! program. She also says that has really enjoyed working in the engineering library because she likes being able to help other students find what they need. This last semester she had a four-credit internship with us, which added to her normal duties at the circulation desk and included helping with class and workshop preparations, doing some data entry and curating an exhibit. She says that one of the favorite parts of her job include “working alongside amazing people and becoming more organized.”
Congratulations, Jarod! Is receiving his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, University of Iowa Class of 2019
Jarod Concha will be graduating with a degree in Civil Engineering and has been working with us as a Student Assistant for three years. His after-graduation plans include an internship before attending grad school in the fall of 2020. Some of Jarod’s favorites parts of being at UI are becoming familiar with Iowa City and all the arts, festivals, food, and football! He has enjoyed working at the engineering library because he likes seeing all the faces – both familiar and new – while seeing the wide range if disciplines the library caters to. He also said, “I want to say how grateful I am for having this job during my undergrad. School is stressful, and I feel like this job helped me strike a good balance between study, work, and leisure time. I will miss my co-workers and helping fellow students. I will look back fondly at my time in the library.”
Yes, next week is FINALS WEEK and we are here to help you get ready!!!
Are you finding that you are having trouble concentrating when you try and study in your room? Too many distractions? The couch and TV or gaming system just too close? Or that nice, soft, comfy bed? Stop in – we have extended hours!
Our Final Week hours!
Sunday, December 15th: Noon to Midnight
Monday, December 16th through Thursday, December 19th: 8:30 a.m. to Midnight
Friday, December 20th: 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday, December 21st and 22nd: Closed
We’ll help you stay awake and alert while you are studying by having FREE coffee, hot chocolate and hot cider!!
(bring your own cup – Mother Earth will thank you!)
We have PLENTY of space for individual and group study! We have two study pods which you can reserve using the 2-2-2 rules: 2 or more students required to be present – priority will be given to groups over individuals; reservations may last 2 hours, consecutive reservations not permitted; and reservations can be made up to 2 weeks in advance! Click on the link for full instructions! The Creative Space is available for individual or group study, and has 5 dry erase boards, collaborations tables with quad monitors! There is room to spread out and work on that final project!!
The lower level is a dedicated quiet space – with easy chairs, bean bag chairs, gamer chairs, study carrels, and two faux fireplaces! If it is too loud in your dorm or apartment – head over and check out our quiet space. You could be drinking coffee in front of the fireplace while studying for that final!
Want to give your mind a break from studying? We have LEGOS®, coloring pages, Color by Number – Engineering Style (can you guess what the picture will turn out to be?), and, of course, the augmented reality sand table!!
We are here to help you make it through finals week! Good luck!!
December 7th, 2019 is National SKYWARN® Recognition Day!!
So, just what is SKYWARN® ?
It is a National Weather Service (NWS) volunteer program with between 350,000 and 400,000 trained severe weather spotters. The main responsibility of a SKYWARN® spotter is to identify and describe severe local weather and storms. Unlike storm chasers, they generally stay in one place until it is necessary for them to move. The spotter is the “eyes and ears in the field” for the NWS.
In 1999, the NWS and the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) created SKYWARN® Recognition Day to recognize and honor “. . . the contributions that SKYWARN® volunteers make to the NWS mission, the protection of life and property. . .” It is held each year on the first Saturday in December.
Think you would be interested in becoming a SKYWARN® volunteer? Training includes learning about basic severe weather structure and development, how to report, and basic severe weather safety. Training is free and typically lasts about 2 hours. Volunteers include police, EMTs, dispatchers, fire fighters, individuals affiliated with hospitals, schools, nursing homes – and concerned private citizens! You can attend training at any NWS office facility, no matter where you live! Check SKYWARN training for information and find the SKYWARN® program in your area! Attend a training course near you, register as a spotter, and help keep your community safe!
Thank you to all the spotters out there who volunteer their time to help the NWS with the updated, real-time weather information!
Resources:
Skywarn Recognition Day : First Saturday in December.National Day Calendar. Date accessed Nov. 20, 2017.
Skywarn Recognition Day : December 2, 2017 from 0000z to 2400z.National Weather Service. Date accessed Nov. 20, 2017.
Mogil, H. Michael. 2007. Extreme weather :understanding the science of hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, heat waves, snow storms, global warming and other atmospheric disturbances. New York, N.Y. : black Dog & Leventhal Publishers. Engineering Library QC981 .M65 2007
Creating Pop-up Greeting Cards
Tuesday, December 3rd; 5:00 PM
Engineering Library Creative Space
The holiday season is coming up quickly! Want to impress your friends and family with fun and unique greeting cards? Learn about paper folding and create your own, unique pop-up card! Explore the possibility of adding lights to your card!
This workshop will be taught by Deanne Wortman, NEXUS.
This workshop is FREE, but space is limited – register now!!
Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all University of Iowa-sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this program, please contact Kari Kozak at kari-kozak@uiowa.edu in advance of the event.
Stuffed with food? Tired from the tryptophan? Need something to get yourself moving and thinking again? Kids to entertain? Or just want something different to do?
I don’t know if it is warm or cold where you are – but I think I can say that some planned activities are welcome during the long holiday weekend. And we’ve got the resources to help with ideas!
Or how about some easy (as 1+2+3) for the long weekend? Make: Easy 1+2+3 Projects has just what you need! It has chapters for everything – Toys and Games, Arts and Crafts, Science and Electronics, and Home and Outdoors!
Make your own mini foosball table using items you probably have around the house – a microwave popcorn box, straws, paper clips, gumballs, scissors and tape! Challenge your family and friends to a rousing game of foosball! Can’t guarantee you’ll burn off calories from your Thanksgiving meal, but it might help with the tryptophan sleepiness!
Want to tattoo a banana? You have to use a fine-tipped needle so make sure to be careful!
How about making a battery from anything? All it takes is 6″ of stiff copper wire, an AA battery and needlenose pliers! Or a sound sucker device? Boiling water, gelatin dessert mix, coffee stirrers, mug – we have a sound meter in our Tool Library so you can even check and see how much the frequency changes! Don’t have speakers for your phone? You can make some using earbuds, paper cups, pocketknife, a velcro strip, and your audio source! And each of these projects (and so many more) really has only 3 steps! So, gather your materials and spend the long weekend making fun and useful things!
We’d love to see your creations so feel free to share photos of your DIY projects on our Facebook page or Twitter feed – @UIEngLib!
Arduino Piano
Tuesday, November 19th; 5:00 PM
Engineering Library Creative Space
Learn to create a your own mini piano!
Learn all the steps to make your own mini piano using an Arduino and circuit board. This lightweight keyboard allows you to play an octave of notes using capacitive touch, no strings or hammers required! This workshop will walk through the basic programming and ways to personalize the keyboard.
This workshop will be taught by Jeremy Roszell, Engineering Electronics Shop.
This workshop is FREE, but class size limited, so register today!! Check our website for information on our upcoming workshop – Creating Pop-up Greeting Cards!
Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all University of Iowa-sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this program, please contact Kari Kozak at kari-kozak@uiowa.edu in advance of the event.
REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN! FREE 2-Day Graduate Thesis Workshop! Presented by the Lichtenberger Engineering Library, College of Engineering, the Graduate College,
and the Hanson Center for Technical Communication! January 16th & 17th, 2020
Open to current engineering and computer science graduate students, Thesis Boot Camp is the perfect opportunity to set aside time dedicated to making progress on your dissertation or master’s thesis! Along with a comfortable, quiet working environment, writing and research support, breakfast, snacks and lunches, the workshop offers students both community and motivation in that final push towards the completion of their dissertation or thesis.
Several optional workshops are also scheduled. They include help with editing, formatting, and creating citations among others! Throughout the entire 2 days 1-on-1 support is provided by writing facilitators, liaison librarians, and members from the graduate college! All available to provide assistance when you need it.
Boot Camp targets current engineering and computer science graduate students at both the PhD and Masters level, who are currently writing their thesis / dissertation. Participants will benefit from the structured time, space, professional advising and peer support of the program.
What else do you need to know?
Both days begin at 8:30 a.m. and end at 5:00 p.m. – please plan to stay for the entire 2 days.
It will be held in the Seamans Center Student Commons and in the Lichtenberger Library
It’s FREE, but is limited to 30 participants.
Breakfasts, lunches, and snacks are included! And coffee! Lots of coffee!
Registration deadline is Friday, December 20th, at 11:59 p.m.
More information and a draft of the schedule go here. The registration form is available here.
Mark your calendars and register today!!
Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all University of Iowa-sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this program, please contact (Kari Kozak, Head, Lichtenberger Engineering Library) in advance at (319-335-6046).
Creating Citations Quickly & Easily with Endnote
Tuesday, November 5th; 5:00 PM
Engineering Library Creative Space
Want to make your research and writing more efficient? Hate the last minute rush of trying to create a correctly formatted bibliography? This workshop is for you! We will introduce Endnote, a citation management tool that can help you import, organize, share, and manage your citations and documents, as well as create correctly formatted in-text citations and bibliographies in almost any style — in seconds.
This workshop will be taught by Marina Zhang, Engineering & Informatics Librarian.
It is a FREE workshop, but space is limited, so be to register today!! Visit our Learn & Create website to see what workshops are coming up! You don’t want to miss out!!
Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all University of Iowa-sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this program, please contact Kari Kozak at kari-kozak@uiowa.edu in advance of the event.
Engineering students, faculty, and staff are invited to submit one image which captures the essence of their research. Entries will be judged on originality/creativity, aesthetics – appeal of the image, relationship between the image and the research, and clarity of the written description.
Our competition will have prize categories for undergraduate, graduate, faculty/staff (including the research labs/centers), and people’s choice.
There will be 4 prize categories from which winners will be selected. There will be a 1st and 2nd place awarded in each category.
Undergraduate Student
Graduate Student
Faculty/Staff/Researchers
Peoples Choice
1st Place in each category will receive a Powerbeats Pro (wireless earbuds).
2nd Place in each category will receive an Ember Temperature Control Smart Mug.
Submission form can be found here. The deadline to submit your photo is Friday, Feb. 28, 2020 at 5:00 pm (central time).
High Resolution Image with a 2:3 aspect ratio suitable for printing as a 20″ x 30″ poster
Best: 6000 pixels x 9000 pixels
Minimum: 2500 pixels x 3750 pixels
The competition website has a link to photo requirements.
100-500 word description of photograph
Here is the information which is requested on the Online Submission Form. Please note that your submission can be changed, withdrawn or adjusted up until the February 28th deadline by either using the online form or by emailing Kari Kozak.
Image Title
Date of Creation
Location of Creation
Researcher Name
HawkID
University Email Address
Research Area
College of Engineering Department or Center
Judging Division
Keywords for image
Creative Commons License Agreement to Terms
Timeline
October – Open for Submissions
Dec. 5, 2019; 3:00 pm: Q&A session
Jan. 30, 2020; 5:00 pm: Q&A session
Feb. 20, 2020; 5:00 pm: Q&A session
Feb 28th – Submissions deadline
Early March – Judging
Late March – People’s Choice (online voting)
April 2nd – Award Ceremony
The Top 25 images will be on display for a period of time in the Hancher Auditorium Lobby, and the images will be digitally preserved in the Libraries’ Iowa Research Online.
Be sure to mark the dates on your calendar! We look forward to seeing all your artistic research submissions!!
Are you ready for Halloween?? Are you looking for costume ideas? Perhaps a DIY costume that will light up your night? Need some DIY decorations and special effects, perhaps? We have the tools and resources you need to create your own unique, spook-tacular, terror-ific, Halloween celebration!!
Always dreamed of being Thor and having your own Mjolnir? Check out this video and then read up on fingerprint scanners in Fundamentals of Applied Electromagnetics to see how the Thor’s DIY hammer is created! Visit instructables for more superhero LED wearables!
Maybe a light saber is more your style? makezine.com has several DIY lightsabers (10 DIY Lightsabers from Padawan to Jedi Master!).
Want a classic scary pumpkin for your Halloween get-together? How about one that lights up? Electronic Projects for Dummies will help you create the perfect scary pumpkins! You’ll have 2 pumpkins – one which transmits an infrared beam and the second one lights up and plays a prerecorded message or sound. When someone walks between the two pumpkins and breaks the plane of the infrared beam, the 2nd pumpkin will light up and emit that evil laugh! The chapter, Scary Pumpkins, takes you through the process, step-by-step, complete with schematics, photos (some in color), parts list and detailed instructions!
How about a hologram of a ghoul? We have Holography Projects for the Evil Genius. It is a DIY resource which includes step-by-step instructions, helpful illustrations, a list of required, easy-to-find components (and a list of sources!). It not only helps you create – and customize – your own hologram, you’ll also master the latest tools and techniques!
Are you into ghost-hunting? We have resources that help you prove to your friends that “you ain’t ‘fraid of no ghost.” How about our LabQuest Microphone (available in our Tool Library) – check it out and see if you can capture the sound of those floorboards creaking when no one is around… Want to see who (or what) is going bump in the night? 101 Spy Gadgets for the Evil Genius has instructions for night vision camcorder! Haunted spaces are often colder than the area around them – so check out one of our 2 thermal cameras or our infrared thermometer! In fact, 101 Spy Gadgets for the Evil Genius has information and instructions on almost everything you’ll need to be a ghost hunter! (I was going to say so you could become a real-live ghost hunter, but decided I probably shouldn’t….)
Pepper’s Ghost. Library Creative Space. Pepper’s Ghost courtesy of the Engineering Electronics Shop.
Pepper’s Ghost is a special effects technique used when creating transparent and ghostly images! It was popularized in the 1800s by John Pepper, and has been used in theaters and haunted houses since then! The Pepper’s Ghost shown in the above photo was created in the Engineering Electronics Shop using the Universal laser and scrap materials. Stop by the Engineering Library and check it out! The images in our Pepper’s Ghost move and rotate through several images. While our Pepper’s Ghost uses a laptop, a computer or special equipment isn’t needed! If you are interested in a more elaborate hologram, How It’s Made : Season 1 & 2(disc 1) will explain how a hologram is created from the beginning to end. And makezine has complete instructions on how to make a spooky ghost for your party!
We’d love to see your Halloween costumes and decorations – post to our Twitter (@UIEngLib) account!
Have a spooky and safe Halloween!!
Ceceri, Kathy. 2015. Paper Inventions : Machines That Move, Drawings That Light Up, Wearables and Structures You Can Cut, Fold, and Roll. San Francisco, CA : Maker Media. Engineering Library TT870 .C54 2015
Roberts, Dustyn. 2011. Making things move : DIY mechanisms for inventors, hobbyists, and artists. New York : McGraw-Hill. Engineering Library TJ147 .R56 2011
Graham Brad, Kathy McGowan, authors. 2012. 101 spy gadgets for the evil genius. New York, NY McGraw-Hill/TAB Electronics. Engineering Library TK7882.E2 G685 2012
