Dr. Syed Murshid, associate professor
of electrical engineering, was
named by Florida Trend magazine
as one of the state’s five most influential scientists.
The magazine’s November 2004 special issue featured the 174 most influential
Floridians.
Murshid, who specializes in fiber
optics research, discovered a way
to quadruple the amount of information
carried over a single fiber optic
cable.
Through a
patented process called spatial domain multiplexing, designed by Murshid
and
his team, the same fiber optic cable can transmit multiple channels of information
at the same wavelength without interference.
“In practical terms, his
discovery allows telecom companies
needing to boost capacity to forgo
laying more cable, an expensive
process,” reads
Murshid’s Florida Trend profile.
The Florida Trend issue also listed
the state’s most influential celebrities,
athletes, attorneys, bankers, power couples, executives and Tallahassee
Insiders.
Two former astronauts, Capt.
Winston Scott (US Navy, ret.),
and Dr. Samuel T. Durrance,
have joined the faculty of
Florida Tech. Scott is a research
professor
in the College of Aeronautics and Durrance is a distinguished research
professor in the Department of Physics and Space Sciences.
Executive
director of the Florida Space
Authority in Cape Canaveral,
Scott is responsible for the statewide development of space-related
industrial, economic
and educational initiatives. Selected to be an astronaut in 1992,
he was
a mission specialist on STS-72 Endeavor in 1996 and STS-87 Columbia
in 1997. He has logged
over 24 days in space, including three space walks. He was born in
Miami.
Durrance, executive director of
the Florida Space Research Institute,
is also director of
the Florida Space Grant Consortium
and principal
research
scientist
at Johns Hopkins University, directing Ph.D. theses. He has spent
26 days in space with Space Shuttles Endeavor and Columbia, and
was on
the crew
of STS-67,
the second flight of Astro, a series of Spacelab astronomy missions.
He was born in Tallahassee. |
The alumni association recently did
its part to bridge the miles between
troops overseas and their 45th Space
Wing families. Acting on the initiative
of Jim Thomas ’72, the Office
of Alumni Affairs organized a session
to digitally film holiday greetings
in the F.W. Olin Engineering Complex
studio in mid-November.
Student ambassadors
Derek Cameron, Brittany Hyde, Julie
Wikete, Melissa
Pulver and Angie Hanes checked in
families who awaited their turn in
a classroom-turned-green-room.” Children
watched animated videos and received
Florida Tech teddy bears donated
by Thomas.
More than 30 families scheduled
themselves
to tape greetings over a four-day
period. Amanda Burns ’04
directed the digital filming. Each
family
received
a password to a secure Web address
so that messages could remain private.
Florida
Today and Central Florida News
TV-13 covered the event.
For the first time in its history,
Florida Tech is offering minors.
The university curriculum committee
recently
approved seven minors: psychology,
forensic psychology, business
administration, management,
accounting, management
information systems and communication.
“Minors are typical in liberal
arts universities. The thinking here
has
been that our curriculum
is already quite rigorous and working
for a minor
could add another semester.
But, it’s
purely optional and we hope
that students will appreciate the availability
of
a minor in a field useful
or interesting to them,” said
Charlotte Young, registrar.
The minor
information will
be in print in the 2005–2006
course catalogue.
The minors require
18 to 21 credit hours of selected
course work.
The intent of the minor is
to encourage and recognize focused
study in
a
field outside of the student’s
major.
Dr. Walter Nunn, professor
of electrical engineering
for 35
years, has passed
away. Still teaching, Nunn
also was a familiar figure
in the
Applied Research Laboratory
building, where
he tested
antennae in the anechoic
chamber.
Sure to be remembered fondly
by many faculty, staff
and students, a lasting
memento is College of Engineering’s
long-standing faculty excellence
award. It’s named the
Walter M. Nunn Jr.
Award for Excellence in
Teaching.
Dr. Fred Ham,
College of Engineering
interim dean,
said, “Dr. Walter
Nunn was my mentor at
Florida Tech as far as
teaching
is concerned. More
importantly, though,
he always touched me
as a
great human being. He
will be missed by all
of us
who knew him
and had the honor of
working with him.”
Dr.
Sam Kozaitis, acting
head of the Department
of Electrical
and
Computer
Engineering, said, “His
wisdom and advice has
helped shape the department
for the last 35 years
and he will be
missed by all.”
Back
on campus to present
a seminar on entrepreneurship
last fall,
two alumni remembered
the electrical
engineering professor.
Vic Verma ’87
recalled that the
only grade other
than an “A” he
received as an undergraduate,
he got from Nunn.
Henry Heflich ’73
said, “Dr.
Nunn’s
class was the most
difficult by far.
But the most impressive
thing about him
was his passion.”
The rededication
of Evans Library
and celebration
of its 20th
anniversary went
forward as planned
last
fall, despite the
expectation of
Hurricane Jeanne.
Guests gathered
for speeches and
refreshments
as the Evans
name was remembered.
“I am sure John Evans would
be very pleased with the way he chose
to honor
his wife Florence
(Flossie) and his mother Artemisa.
Mr. Evans died in
1979 and left
the majority of his property to be
used to build this library,” recalled
Tom McFarland, Evans Library. He also
remembered that just a few days after
opening the library in 1984, it was
closed briefly because of tropical
storm Isidore.
The Falcons, Florida Tech’s flight
team, earned third place in the National
Intercollegiate Flying Association
Region IX Safety and Flight Evaluation
(SAFECON) Conference, held at Flagler
County Airport. Earning a top-three
spot enables the team to compete at
the national competition, which will
be held in 2005 in Salina, Kan. Dr.
Donna Forsyth Wilt, College of Aeronautics,
was the team’s faculty adviser.
Mick Ukleja, founder and president
of Leadership TraQ, a leadership
consortium specializing in the
area of self-leadership,
spoke on campus last fall for the
College of Business Distinguished
Lecturer
Series. His presentation, before
a crowd of 120, was “Four
Essential Skills for Leading and
Living.”
In his talk, Ukleja
explained a transformational
leadership model, describing four
kinds of leadership—personal,
one-on-one, organizational, and team
leadership.
He looked at emotional intelligence,
or EQ, which is one’s ability
to manage their emotions in ways
that drive performance, and mastering
one’s
moods for success.
“Dr. Mick Ukleja’s presentation
was outstanding,” said
Dean Tim Hollingsworth. “He
really captured the essence of
leadership in contemporary
society. He gave a wonderful
message to students, which is
that you have
to know yourself before you can
be an effective leader.”
In
addition to a busy speaking
schedule, Ukleja hosts LeadershipTraQ
Televised.
This interview format talk
show,
which profiles outstanding
leaders, is available
weekly in 37 Southern California
cities.
Ukleja is a principal and board
member in the Bonita Bay Group,
the largest
community developer in Southwest
Florida. He received the Century
Club Award
for his promotion of athletics
in the city of Long Beach,
Calif., where
he
resides.
President Anthony J. Catanese
announces three alumni named
to the Florida
Tech Board of Trustees. They
are Albino
(Bino) Campanini ’90, ’92
M.B.A., Henry (Chip) Heflich ’73
and Jim Thomas ’ 72.
Campanini
is chief executive officer
of Stottler Stagg & Associates,
Architects Engineers Planners
Inc. of Cape Canaveral.
He is well known
around campus as an athletics
department fund raiser
and adviser, and is a member
of the College of Business’ Board
of Overseers. He also serves
on the Alumni Association
Board of Directors,
where he is on the International
Relations Committee.
Heflich
has an extensive entrepreneurial
and design
engineering background.
He is best known as a
cofounder of Genuity, Inc., a national
Internet service provider.
He later joined
broadcast.com as chief
technology officer. A
member
of Pi Kappa Alpha, he
supported an
effort to restore the
chapter’s
fraternity house following
the damage from the 2004
hurricane season.
Thomas,
a venture capitalist in two fast-growing
industries,
electronic
entertainment and the
Internet, was
chief operating officer
and chief financial
officer of
MapQuest.com
and led the
company through its
defining period. He is on the
Alumni Association
Board of Directors
where he is
treasurer
and chairman of the
Finance Committee.
At Fall Commencement
in December, Michael
D. Brown,
undersecretary
of Homeland
Security for Emergency
Preparedness and
Response, delivered the
commencement address.
Brown
was nominated by President George
W. Bush
in Jan. 2003
to be the first
in his position
in the newly created
Department of Homeland
Security.
As head of the
Federal Emergency Management
Agency (FEMA),
Brown oversees federal
disaster
response
and recovery,
and coordinates
disaster activities with
more than two dozen
federal
agencies and departments
and the American
Red Cross. He also
oversees the National
Flood Insurance
Program
and the U.S.
Fire Administrations
and initiates proactive
mitigation
activities.
At commencement,
Brown received
Florida Tech’s
most prestigious
award, the President’s
Medal. The award
acknowledges
individuals who
have provided
superior public
service.
About
350 students
received their
bachelor’s,
master’s
or doctoral degrees
at fall commencement
in Melbourne.
The university
also conferred
approximately
180 more master’s
degrees through
its School of
Extended Graduate
Studies, which
has 10 locations
throughout
the United States.
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