The Engineering Alumni Association hosted the 2007 Engineers Week Reception on Tuesday, Feb. 20, during National Engineers Week. EAA hosts the event annually to provide support for Cullen College of Engineering students and to celebrate how engineers "make a world of difference."
"This event successfully brings together UH engineering students and the local engineering community to promote how engineers' work touches nearly every aspect of our lives," said Cynthia Oliver-Coleman (1971 BSChE), chair of the 2007 EWeek reception.
Thirty-two students and three student organizations were awarded over $22,000 during the reception, which was attended by some 200 engineering alumni, faculty, staff, students and sponsors. Among the many sponsors for this year's event were the UH Petroleum Engineering Advisory Board, Williams Brothers Construction Co., FMC Technologies, ExxonMobil Women Engineer UH Alumni, Shell Oil Company, Fluor Corporation, Bayer, Grant Prideco, Kalsi Engineering, Reliant Energy, UH Engineering Alumni Association and TCB/AECOM.
The EAA hosted a new contest this year for student organizations to showcase how they are making a difference in the community. Nine student organizations participated in the "Engineers Make a Difference" speech contest in the weeks leading up to the event. The top three organizations - Society of Women Engineers, National Society of Black Engineers and American Society of Civil Engineers- were selected to compete in the contest finale (sponsored by FMC Technologies) during the reception. SWE won 1st place in the competition and claimed the $1,000 prize, NSBE received $600 for second place and ASCE received $400 for placing third.
And, in keeping with tradition, EAA created a special game show to entertain the crowd. This year's show, "Show Me The Engineer", a spinoff of the new game show "Show Me The Money", was performed by alumni and students. The game tested the knowledge of participating engineering students, while its host, EAA Secretary and college alum Tony Catalano (1979 MSChE), proceeded to amuse the audience.