England ASEE Section Conference

Accelerance Sponsors New England ASEE Section Conference Student Projects Poster Competition
at Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Redwood City, CA, March 21, 2006 – Accelerance™, a leading expert outsourcing services firm, today announced its sponsorship of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) New England Section Conference Student Poster Competition at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). Steve Mezak, CEO of Accelerance and alumnus of WPI, strongly supports the focus of this year’s conference, which is themed: "Engineering Education and Practice for the Global Community."

“A critical part of an engineering education today is for students to understand the impact they can have on the world as well as the global resources available to them,” said Steve Mezak, CEO of Accelerance. “WPI does an excellent job of providing the technical education needed, and also exposes students to global opportunities through the Global Perspective Program.   Accelerance is proud to support this innovation in engineering education.”  For additional information see:  http://www.wpi.edu/Academics/Depts/IGSD/.  

Accelerance sponsored the student poster competition that recognized exceptional academic project work related to the conference theme. The posters were displayed at the conference and the students presented their projects to a panel of judges.  The winners, listed below, were announced prior to the conference banquet on  March 17, 2006.

Graduate Student Category, First Place:
Project: Teaching Engineering Through Stories
Team members: Katie Bush, Jen Gray, Megan Holmes, Karen Kosinski
Affiliation:  University of Massachusetts Medical School & Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Advisors: John Orr, Jill Rulfs

Undergraduate Category, First Place:
Project: Designing an Ethanol Reformer for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells
Team member: Susan Fredholm
Affiliation: Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering
Advisor: Benjamin Linder

Undergraduate Category, Second Place (Tied):
Project: Use of the Building Information Model in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Education at WPI
Team members: Mohamed Aboulezz, Hala Mokbel          
Affiliation: Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Advisor: Guillermo Salazar

Project: Magnetometer Picosatellite
Team members: Danato Borelli, Justin Woodard
Affiliation: Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Advisor: Fred J. Looft

About Accelerance

Accelerance is a leading expert outsourcing services firm working with small-to-medium sized businesses that are grappling with the issues of outsourcing software development. Accelerance provides its clients with the information and services they need to begin outsourcing quickly and with risk-free results.  The Accelerance Jumpstart services provide quick selection – hours and days rather than weeks or months – of a best-fit outsourced software development team, based on each client’s specific requirements by country and/or technology.  The Rapid Ramp-up and Prime Contractor services add Accelerance expert assistance with contract negotiation, program set up, and on-going oversight. Accelerance, located in Redwood City, California (the heart of the Silicon Valley), was founded in 2001 by Steve Mezak, a veteran of numerous software development companies and projects both onshore and offshore.  Steve is author of the upcoming book: Software Without Borders: A Step-By-Step Guide to Outsourcing Your Software Development.  For more information, visit: www.accelerance.com.     

About Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Founded in 1865, WPI was one of the nation's first engineering and technological universities. Its 18 academic departments offer more than 50 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science, engineering, technology, management, the social sciences, and the humanities and arts. WPI's world-class faculty work with students in a number of cutting-edge research areas, leading to breakthroughs and innovations in such fields as biotechnology, fuel cells, information security, and nanotechnology. Students also have the opportunity to make a difference in communities and organizations around the world through the university's innovative Global Perspectives Program, at more than 20 project centers throughout North America and Central America, Africa, Australia, Asia, and Europe.

About the American Society for Engineering Education

Founded in 1893, the American Society for Engineering Education is a nonprofit organization of individuals and institutions committed to furthering education in engineering and engineering technology. It accomplishes this mission by promoting excellence in instruction, research, public service, and practice; exercising worldwide leadership; fostering the technological education of society; and providing quality products and services to members.

ASEE's more than 12,000 members include deans, department heads, faculty members, students, and government and industry representatives who hail from all disciplines of engineering and engineering technology. ASEE's organizational membership is composed of 400 engineering and engineering technology colleges and affiliates, more than 50 corporations, and numerous government agencies and professional associations. ASEE directs many of its efforts at providing for open and ongoing dialogues among these groups.

Contact:
Frances Mann-Craik
Mann-Craik & Associates                                
+1 408-868-9577                                                                               
frances.mann@starband.net