Seminars | ME | Union College

ME Seminar - MER 010

Discussion of special topics in Mechanical Engineering, important to professional development such as; current engineering practices, engineering ethics, codes and standards, and intellectual property. Required for all ME seniors during Fall and Winter terms, as well as Spring term for ME juniors.

Other students are welcome to attend if interested.

These seminars will be held every Friday of term during common hour (1:00-1:45 pm) in OLIN 115.

Spring 2025

Week 1 - April 04 - MER 498 Senior Project Poster Presentation

MER-498 Seniors will present their projects.
Week 2 - April 11- Guest speaker

Guest speaker Tengteng Tang from Arizona State University will be speaking about 3D printing of bio-inspired materials.
Week 3 - April 18- Faculty projects

ME Chair, Prof. Hamed will outline options for Senior experiences for academic year 2025-2026.
ME Faculty will present project ideas for MER-497 and MER-498 (Senior Projects 1 & 2).
Week 4 - April 25- Guest Speaker- Extended position-based dynamics for interactive surgical simulations

Dr. Cuong Nguyen of RPI, will be speaking about Extended position-based dynamics for interactive surgical simulations.
Week 5 - May 02- Guest Speaker- Mechanics of Deformation and Damage in Soft Fibrous Materials

Dr. Maahi Talukder of RPI will be presenting: Mechanics of Deformation and Damage in Soft Fibrous Materials.
Materials with stochastic fibrous microstructure are ubiquitous in everyday life. Examples include soft biological tissue, paper, and nonwovens. Due to their complex microstructural features, these materials generally exhibit nonlinear mechanical responses and can sustain large deformation. This talk primarily discusses the mechanics of processes such as nonlinear stiffening, plasticity, crack propagation, and crack deflection in soft materials. Concurrently, it summarizes approaches and challenges toward modeling these materials using traditional and data-driven approaches.
Week 6 -May 09- Steinmetz Symposium (NO SEMINAR)

This seminar will not be held, as the Steinmetz Symposium will be held instead
Week 7 - May 16- Union Alum, Scott Carroll '08 - Senior Account Director of ADMET Inc.

Union Alum, Scott Carrol '08- Senior Account Director of ADMET Inc. will discuss his company and the role he currently fulfills. Scott will also discuss the obstacles he conquered in his career on the path to success since graduating from Union College.
Week 8 - May 23- Dr. Lynn Evans- Director of Fellowships and Doctoral Pathways

Dr. Lynn Evans will speak about fellowships, scholarships, and post-graduate pathways for Union College graduates.
Week 9 - May 30- Dr. Mark Vermilyea- General Electric

Dr. Mark Vermilyea- of General Electric will speak about his
career at GE Research, including three internships, spanned 1977 through 2022. Including
over a year total spent in GE manufacturing facilities worldwide. Mark’s principal contributions
to GE products were in three areas: Superconducting magnets for MRI, X-ray sources, and
Manufacturing using composite materials. He has extensive knowledge of design, analysis,
materials, and manufacturing technology for dozens of products and components, and has led
numerous teams in development of technology demonstrators and product prototypes as well
as implementation of new manufacturing techniques.
Week 10 - June 06- MER 498 Elevator Pitches

MER-498 Seniors will present their Elevator Pitches