Entrepreneurship Panel

We have invited two distinguished panelists (former grads of the department, descriptions below) to talk about their experiences as successful entrepreneurs. If you have burning questions (How do I become an entrepreneur? How do people like us make companies work? How do I juggle school, work, research, and life?), then come to the panel and hear from folks like you who are in the trenches.

Nathan Ball (SM 2007) Atlas Devices

In 2005, Nate and three mech-e classmates (Dan Walker '05 SM '09, Bryan Schmid '03 SM '05, and Tim Fofonoff SM '03 PhD '08) formed Team ATLAS to compete in the ISN Soldier Design Competition. After creating the first working prototype of the ATLAS Powered Rope Ascender, they founded Atlas Devices, LLC to commercialize the product. Led through the entrepreneurial experience of how-the-heck-do-you-actually-start-a-company by the ISN's technology transition specialist, Team ATLAS filed several patents with prize money from the competition and went to work. In 2007 they were awarded a small acquisition contract for a number of ascenders from the U.S. Army's Rapid Equipping Force. They footed the bill for the R&D out-of-pocket, delivered the units in only four months, and have been continuing to refine and supply their product to the U.S. Government ever since.

Prof Andre Sharon (PhD 1988) kSARIA Corp

I founded kSARIA in 2000 to develop capital equipment for the optical communication industry. The company went through (and survived) the telecom crash. While manufacturing of fiber optic components has since gone to China and other low cost producers, kSARIA was able use automation as a competitive differentiator. Not only staying cost-competitive, but achieving much higher quality. This has enabled it to become the premier provider of fiber-optic interconnect solutions to the U.S. military and aerospace industry. Today, if you fly in some of the newer Boeings or Airbuses, your in-seat entertainment system may be brought to you via kSARIA fiber optic cable systems.

The panel will be followed by a Grape Juice & Cheese reception.

Date:

Friday, November 13

Time:

3:30pm

Location:

4-231

Archived on: November 20, 2009

Grape Juice & Cheese

That time has come again where we take out our glasses in celebration, pour some festive water, and make a toast to all that is MechE. Yes, I know you’re thinking what I’m thinking---make a toast to your floating windmill, to your robot, or to your award-winning design. You can even toast to the exam that you just failed, to your code that doesn't run, to your experiments that break the 2nd law of thermodynamics, to that paper draft that you should have started a month ago, or maybe just to the xⁿ years that you’ve been here… OK, maybe we should stop this whole toast thing. Better to forget about it, and come down this Friday to the Bush Room (10-105) from 5-7pm for some good times and good toasts brought to you by your friends at MIT Grad Rat and the GSC.

The MIT Grad Rat team is proudly sponsoring this event. The MIT Grad Rat is the official MIT graduate ring, and is seen as the symbol of MIT community worldwide. The Grad Rat sponsorship for this event is specially for the Mechanical Engineering students to come know more about the tradition of the MIT Graduate Ring. Grad Rat officials will be present to provide information about ring ordering, post-delivery services offered by the manufacturers, and some exciting new initiatives of the Grad Rat committee. Also, we are excited to inform you about an exclusive offering for you: we will be having a raffle for an iPod nano.

Date:

Friday, November 13

Time:

5–7pm

Location:

The Bush Room (10-105)

Archived on: November 20, 2009

Halloween Spookfest

This is the story of a graduate student — an Nth year PhD student who just never left. You might not have heard of him, but surely you have felt his presence. Maybe late at night, you saw free food disappear just as you reached for it. Maybe after a long night of experiments, you found the phrase “You are NOT PREPARED for QUALS” spelled out in your data. Maybe while walking down the hallway of building 3, you heard a whisper in your ear — “Form your THESIS COMMITTEE” — that sent a chill down your spine. Or maybe you woke up in a cold sweat at your desk to a voice in your head saying “Graduate… GRADUATE”. This graduate student is among us, and his spirit will wander restless until the day he graduates. Unfortunately, the tragedy is that he never will…

To try to appease this spirit, GAME will be having a Halloween Spookfest after the ME Colloquium Lecture on Friday October 30th. We will have our standard fare of grape juice and Halloween goodies, and we will be giving out prizes for best costume in the following categories:

1. Adviser Look-Alike Contest
2. How MechE Can You Be?
3. General Bad-Ass Costume

So come in your ghastly best!

Date:

Friday, October 30

Time:

5pm (after the M.E. Colloquium Lecture)

Location:

The Fish Bowls (first floor of Building 3)

Archived on: November 20, 2009

Fall Social

Food will be served and throats will not remain dry!

Date:

Wednesday, October 14

Time:

5:00 to 7:00 pm

Location:

The New Thirsty Ear (in The New Ashdown)

Archived on: November 20, 2009

Library Info Session

Think you can use only Google and Google Scholar to complete your literature review for your thesis? Well, think again! Angie Locknar, librarian for Mechanical Engineering, will provide tips for doing a thorough literature review using MIT Libraries resources. Included will be tools for finding articles, patents, and standards, and tips for keeping up with new research. You’ll also learn about different citation software packages for organizing your references and producing bibliographies.

Refreshments will be served.

Date:

Monday, October 5

Time:

4 to 5 pm

Location:

DIRC (14N-132)

Archived on: November 20, 2009

Fall BBQ

Don’t miss our fall barbecue: Monday from 4 to 6pm at the Kresge BBQ pits (behind Kresge auditorium). This event was organized by Lisa and Catherine, GAME’s orientation chairs, and is sponsored by the Graduate Student Council.

Date:

Monday, September 14

Time:

4 to 6 pm

Location:

Kresge Barbecue Pits

Archived on: November 20, 2009

Summer of Fun: Trip to the Beach

The next stop on the Summer of Fun: GAME is sponsoring a trip to Crane Beach on Saturday, August 1. Sign up now!

Guests are welcome, please ask them to sign up separately (limit 1 guest per person).

Date:

Saturday, August 1st

Location:

Crane Beach – Ipswich, MA

Archived on: September 13, 2009

Summer of Fun: Trip to NH

Based on your responses to our “2009 Summer of Fun” survey, we have decided to rent the MITOC Intervale cabin for July 18th and 19th.

Visit the sign-up page for more details and, of course, to sign up. Guests are welcome (limit 1 guest per person), but please ask them to sign up separately. We are limiting the total number of people, so don’t hesitate!

Date:

Saturday July 18th and Sunday July 19th

Location:

MITOC Intervale Cabin – North Conway, NH

Archived on: September 13, 2009

Summer BBQ

Special offer: mouthwatering grilled delights.

To redeem: show up at the Kresge barbecue pits with an empty stomach on Wednesday, June 10^th between 5 and 7pm.

That's right all these hamburgers and hotdogs can be yours with no payment until January 31, 2011!*

Date:

Wednesday, June 10

Time:

5 to 7 pm

Location:

Kresge Barbecue Pits

* Valid for a limited time only. Some restrictions may apply.

Archived on: September 13, 2009

Spring BBQ

We’re having our spring barbecue on Tuesday from 3:30 to 6pm at the Kresge BBQ pits. All are welcome, and we hope to see you there!

UPDATE: due to a gas leak at Kresge, the BBQ has been moved to Sidney-Pacific. Same time, same crowd, same food — don’t miss it!

Date:

Tuesday, May 12

Time:

3:30 to 6:00 pm

Location:

Kresge BBQ Pits Sidney-Pacific

Archived on: June 8, 2009

PhD Candidate Info Session

Yes, the rumors are true—Quals is not the end of the PhD process. To point you in the right direction, GAME will be having an info session next week for PhD candidates. The session will be on Tuesday April 14th, and Professor Hardt will be there to discuss & answer questions on:

• requirements and procedures of the PhD program,
• writing proposals and forming committees, and
• requirements for a minor and major.

We will have food and beverages courtesy of the department.

Date:

Tuesday, April 14

Time:

5pm

Location:

3-270

Archived on: June 8, 2009

Fancy Grape Juice & Cheese

Yes, it’s that time of the semester again—the time when, for a few hours, you can act not as that slovenly graduate student that you are, but instead as a refined, contributing member of society. So put on your nicest t-shirt and brush off that snazzy pair of sneakers to rub elbows with people higher up on the food chain, while sipping some delicious grape libations and savoring some scrumptious cheese.

Come to the Fishbowls on Friday, April 10th for a grand reception, the likes of which you have never seen!

Food will be plenty and so will the spring refreshments. See you there!

Date:

Friday, April 10

Time:

4:30–6:30pm*

Location:

The Fishbowls (Building 3, First Floor)

* Immediately following the ME Colloquium, which starts at 3:30 in 3-370.

Archived on: May 10, 2009

Quals Info Session

On Tuesday April 7th, GAME will host our annual spring Quals Information Session to provide general information about the ME Qualifying Exams. Students who have recently passed the Quals will talk about their experiences and answer questions, and we will discuss the results of the 2009 GAME Quals Survey.

Date:

Tuesday, April 7

Time:

5–7 pm

Location:

3-270

PS If you’ve already been through Quals (successfully or not) and would like to participate in the survey, it’s not too late!… sorry, the 2009 Quals Survey is now closed. Thanks to everyone who contributed!

Archived on: April 8, 2009

Saint Patty's Day Social

GAME social. Thirsty Ear. Wednesday, 6–8pm. Yeah, St. Patrick's day is on Tuesday… we know.

Food will be plenty and so will the spring refreshments. See you there!

Date:

Wednesday, March 18

Time:

6–8 pm

Location:

The Thirsty Ear

PS Also on Facebook.

Archived on: April 5, 2009

GAME Elections: Results!

Today, on this very auspicious Friday the 13^th, an election was held for new GAME officers. We are pleased to announce the new leaders of GAME for the coming year:

President:

Priam Pillai

Vice President:

Anurag Bajpayee

Secretary:

Jean Chang

Treasurer:

Melinda Hale

Congrats to all of them, and a huge thanks to our outgoing officers!

If you want to get involved in GAME but couldn’t make today’s meeting, send email to <game-officers AT mit>.

Archived on: May 10, 2009

GAME Elections

Out with the old, in with the new. This year’s GAME Officer Elections will be held on Friday, February 13th — the second biggest elections in your lifetime. You can come just to eat the free pizza and VOTE, or you can volunteer or run for a position on the GAME Executive Board.

Nominate someone (or yourself) for an elected position — these include President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. If you think you know someone who really has that something special, give them a hug and whisper in their ear that they should run for a position. Don’t be too creepy about it, but be a little creepy… it’s Friday the 13th, after all.

You can also volunteer for a chair position, such as: Coffee Hour Chair, Social Chair, Orientation Chair, Webmaster, Industry Relations Chair, IM Chair, or GSC Representative.

Date:

Friday, February 13

Time:

12 to 1pm

Location:

Room 3-343

Archived on: March 16, 2009

Registration Day Social

What better way to celebrate the start of a new semester than with the end of a few glasses of G.A.M.E.’s secret sauce and some free food courtesy of… you guessed it… G.A.M.E. and the GSC funding board! Monday from 5 to 8pm at the new Thirsty Ear.

Update: please bring age (21+) ID.

Date:

Monday, February 2

Time:

5 to 8pm

Location:

The New Thirsty Ear, The New Ashdown

Archived on: March 16, 2009