Persuading Leaders and Peers of the Value of Mass Properties

The SAWE has been holding virtual forums using Zoom since the Tech Fair on various mass properties topics.  We are now in the initial phases of creating the third on the series.  The topic will be Persuading Leaders and Peers of the Value of Mass Properties, which will be presented on Friday, January 15th.  Nominally, we are looking for the Forum to run for an hour and a half starting at 9:00 AM MST (11:00 AM EST).

This forum will be somewhat different than previous forums in the following way – rather than a Forum leader and a host for the meeting, there will be a forum host and a panel of mass properties experts, who have now moved on to other positions in their organizations. We have identified people who have moved up to group lead and then to higher management levels, people who have risen to lead mass properties groups, people who oversee mass properties, and people who have experienced both well run and poorly run mass properties organizations.  Each have a tale to tell.

What we envision is  supplying a short PowerPoint template for each panelist to use to expound on their “secret sauce” on how to enable a well functioning mass properties effort, and more importantly, what the overall value of having such an organization (which could even be a single person) is to their group, company, and nation.  Each panelist will have a short period of time (approximately 3-4 minutes) to present their case.  After all the panelists have spoken, we will open up the floor for our audience to comment, ask questions, and discuss what they have just witnessed.  Then there we will conduct a short wrap-up with the opportunity for discussions to continue off-line.

Be on the look out for more information as the details are finalized, but now is the time to get this on your calendar to make sure you are part of this great virtual forum!

Give us Your Best Engineering Joke!

One thing I think everyone can agree on:  it has been a heck of a year, and everyone could use a bit of comic relief. 

So, for the Winter 2021 issue of “Weight Engineering”, we will be featuring a selection of favorite engineering jokes from the membership!  Please send your submissions to me at nmarickovich@gmail.com.  Along with the funny stuff, please send your name, SAWE chapter, and (if you’d like) a picture of yourself and why you find the joke meaningful to you. 

Please get your submissions in by 1/10/21 to be considered.  You can type your joke up in an email or send an MS Word or PDF file.  And let’s keep it classy folks:  jokes considered racist, sexist, or otherwise offensive will not be published.  Should not be a problem from such a fine bunch of Mass Properties Professionals such as yourselves!  Jokes at management’s expense would be considered par for the course, naturally. 

Thank you for your continued support of the SAWE through these challenging times. 

Nick Marickovich, VP Publications