minutes of the 111th convention the tau … tyler m. graveline ca magdalena l. etimani md lucas r....

2016 Convention Minutes - 1

MINUTES OF THE 111th CONVENTION THE TAU BETA PI ASSOCIATION, INC.

Town and Country Resort and Convention Center, San Diego, CA October 6–8, 2016

Final registration of voting delegates, non-voting delegates, chapter advisors, alumnus visitors, and Association Officials registered for the Convention at the Town and Country Resort and Convention Center on October 6-7 is as follows: Official Collegiate Chapter Voting Delegates: AL Madeline M. Bonifay DC Abbie E. Gillen MA ------------------------

AL Matthew J. Studer FL Felipe L. Carvalho MA Mina B. Botros

AL Hemali V. Patel FL Leila C. Ayoub MA Kevin J. Smida

AL Gregory R. Duke II FL Christina-Anne K. Lahiff MA Joseph M. Tompkins

AL Marina Swanepoel FL Benjamin D. Marotta MI -----------------------

AK Bryce A. Hiles FL Kristopher J. Stewart MI Julia N. Zayan

AZ Matthew R. Dzurick FL Monty N.J. Attzs II MI Rachel L. Neumann

AZ Kaleia Kramer FL Michael A. Pelletier MI Philip L. Renn

AZ Amanda K. Crawford FL Daniela S. Gil MI Max E. Sydorchuk

AZ August C. Giering FL Tianyuan Zhao MI Alec M. Gradl

AR Christopher M. Matthews GA Tivon T. Tsung MI Luis J. Rodriguez

CA Wesley Y. Guo GA T. Neal Welch MI Matthew C. Bloom

CA Jingwei Shi ID Patrick D. Mahoney MI Benjamin J. Pollatz

CA Caelin K. Tran ID Christopher S. White MI Christian K. Brower

CA Charles Y. Wu ID Tyler A. Hamilton MI Alissa M. Smith

CA Alexander A. Sorokin IL Ping-Ko Chiu MN Grant T. Marsden

CA Dayna G. Obenauf IL Konrad Nowak MN Kelsey M. Miller

CA Erick J. Bi IL Jimmy L. Ding MS Zachary H. Collins

CA Scott I. Salazar IL Rachel T. Levine MS Sherman A. Jones Jr.

CA Luis F. Fernandez Jr. IL Stephanie M. Venis MO Stephanie R. Atkinson

CA Andrew J. Theodore IL Kristin M. Wiseman MO Greggory D. Van Loon

CA Deborah H. Porter IN Anna N. Tatara MO ------------------------

CA Sara L. Wier IN Kaelyn R. Griffin MO Maureen A. Muller

CA Corrine A. Marino IN Liam M. Finnegan MO Catherine C. Gloss

CA Sean P. Bennett IN Rebekah R. Koehn MT Caroline Lima Salles de Souza

CA -------------------------- IN Oanh T. Nguyen MT ------------------------

CA Majerle E. Reeves IN Nathan W. Wheeler NE Zachary J. Van Ede

CA ---------------------- IA Anthony C. LoCurto NV Timothy J. Kwist

CA Janelle G. Harkous IA Paul E. Ruales Rosero NV Andrew L. Poland

CA Julian F. Banez KS Tomas W. Green NH Sean T. Philbrick

CA Yana M. Manuylo KS Joe D. Davolt Jr. NH Jillian H. Katz

CA Taylor J. Gilman KS Damian A. Cyr NJ Jonathan Itskovitch

CA Rachel L. Hsiong KY Jonathan F. Coburn NJ Joshua Tedesco

CA Robert A. Cyprus KY Helen J. Lu NJ Indiana Suriel

CA Eric R. Lovell KY William E. Johnson III NJ Vladimir Y. Feinberg

CA Sarah A. Alfeerawi LA Chase R. Courville NJ Harrison T. Hawkins

CA ------------------------ LA Ryan L. Fishel NJ Leon E. Collins III

CA ------------------------ LA Arthur H. Spence III NM -----------------------

CA Sarah E. Kapple LA Quinn A. Anglada NM Ayham Maadi

CO Thomas J. Wagener LA Pawan Aryal NM Christopher G. Sain

CO Alexandrea L. Viert ME ------------------------ NY Jaeyoung K. Jung

CO Matthew J. Pauly MD Steven X. Chen NY Yenis V. Argueta

CO Derique A. Duran MD Tatyana Kiryutina NY Mingchen Li

CO ------------------------- MD Benjamin H. Bailin NY -----------------------

CT Joseph A. Kohrman-Glaser MD Sean Najmi NY Chaddy Ismail

CT Colby P. Buehler MD Ravin K. Jajistar NY Benjamin T. Marsden

CT Colin G. Worrich MA Abbegail H. Nack NY John-James Tesoriero

DE David M. Cohen MA Akhil Nistala NY Justin S. Schumacher

DC Chinonye D. Pat-Ekeji MA ------------------------ NY Galen D. Moynihan

DC Stefan F. Lapcevich MA Ashley M. Testa NY Conor D. Martin


NY Jack C. Ryan OR Kevin J. Riley TX Daniel U. Rivera

NY Sandhiya Kannan OR Thomas J. Manfredonia TX Apol Joy P. Bodiongan

NY Lauren E. Samar PA Katherine J. Zajkowski TX Nyoka A. Florius

NY Mamadou M. Toure PA Ellen J. Weiss TX Jacqueline A. Reyes

NY Peter B. Hoskins PA Evans M. Hauser TX Allison M. Garcia

NY Brian A. Parsons PA Alexander P. George TX Chayse M. Lavallais

NY Zachary T. Cohen PA Michael D. Bennett TX Beatriz Alba

NC Laura M. Campbell PA Maria Raggousis TX Alisa H. Isaac

NC Pak-hang Henry Yuen PA Colby D. Rome TX Susana A. Ortega

NC James C. Freeman PA Scott M. Leighow UT Peter J. Creveling

NC Joshua R. Howell PA ---------------------- UT Jeffrey K. Griffiths

NC Ricky D. Tharrington PA Atousa Nourmahnad UT Nathan C. Kunz

ND Patrick A. Bergh PA Givan M. Amaratunga VT Elizabeth M. Richards

ND Jeffrey L. Gendreau PA Joseph P. Helbling VT Artmiz Golkaramnay

OH Thomas J. Milyo PR Frances A. Ruiz-Deliz VA Kyle E. Mavity

OH Isaac C. Dippold RI Elliot D. Weiss VA Joseph F. Spaziani

OH Lagnajit Pattanaik RI Jeremiah P. Sullivan II VA Aaron D. LaDue

OH Steven V. Wise SC Elizabeth T. Zanin VA Zachary J. Sprinkle

OH Erin M. Tesny SC R. Brock Fletcher VA Andy N. Vo

OH Stephanie A. Andrews SC Louie A. Decena Jr. WA Moritz J. Lange

OH Adam J. Messer SD Kathryn D. Starr WA Kyle D. Deatherage

OH Bradley D. Siefker SD Caden J. Holzer WA Kirstin E. Schauble

OH Alexander J. Strimbu TN John A. Dooley WA Marilyn R. Hoag

OH Mark J. Archual TN Azfar Hadee Azman WV David P. Beahr

OH Elizabeth A. Rogenski TN Andrew I. Doyka WV Yazid Amrani

OH Joseph A. Peoples TN Raymond E. McGinnis III WI Cassandra T. Bradley

OH Zachery W. Cole TN Ashley M. Birmingham WI John T. Luepke

OH Evan A. Bader TN Keith P. Schaal WI Garrett L. Keleny

OK Octavio Serrano TX Andrew L. Yeang WI Austin V. Campbell

OK Shyam Kareepadath Sajeev TX Jonny J. Sykora WI Andrew J. Lee

OK Raychel M. Kozik TX Julia L. Voltz WY Gideon D. Baldwin

OR Owen C. Madin TX Diego E. Zambrano Collegiate Chapter Alternates (non-voting delegates): AL Khira N. Morgan CA Alex J. Aguilar IA Veronica M. White

AL Phiwat Klomkaew CA Robert F. Aguilar KS Lucas G. Verschelden

AL Luis E. Rodriguez-Reveles CA Valentino G. DiCerto MD Allison L. Grabowski

AZ Tyler M. Graveline CA Magdalena L. Etimani MD Lucas R. Foppe

AZ Mark S. Van Bergen CA Harrison S. Schmachtenberger MD Sydney D. Menikheim

AZ Matthew D. Vis CO Hannah E. Erdevig MD D Jordyn N. Schroeder

AZ Dylan J. McAdams DE Daniel M. Grindle MD Michael M. Shiferaw

AR Boyce R. Bethel DC Anna-Kaye C. Barrett MA Anni Zhang

AR Emily A. Degner DC Claude I. Julien II MA Evan D. Brown

AR Farida I. Mahmud DC Johannah E. Lewis MI Joanne K. Beckwith

AR Alexander J. Raney DC Kalah I. Ozimba MI Joanna L. Ciatti

AR Jillian M. Schneider DC Preety M. Shakya MI Alexa L. Cichon

AR Dillon K. Self DC Apsara M. Williams MI Chandruganesh Rasendran

AR Anthony R. Shank FL Ryan T. Dargan MI Kallen M. Schwark

AR Stephanie L. Shreve FL Kristen N. Ahlberg MI Philip Yang

AR Maria A. Zeballos FL Kristen A. Brenner MI Landon W. Cathers

CA Chenye Zhu FL Melania Antillon MI Nada J. Saghir

CA Robert B. Parker FL Erick G. Manzano MI Lucas D. Fuchs

CA Chelsea M. Mediavilla IL Vasundhara Agrawal MI Audun D. Myers

CA Rebecca N. Wyborski IL Kushal Herur MN Karin L. Larson

CA Yin Fung Khong IL Haris Latic NJ Julian Daum

CA Rachel K. Alexander IL Dane A. Walker NY Andre L. Sotolongo

CA Nicole T. Pineda IN Bojun Song NY Kylie N. Sjoblom

CA Eduardo J. Yanez Mejia IN Brendan C. Clark NY Justin C. Fossum


ND Nathan C. Hanson SD Carrie C. Veer TX Hong Nhung T. Nguyen

OH Morgan A. Chencinski SD Alexander R. Fleming VA Erin E. Falvey

OH Ryan T. Dodds TN Christie M. Lau VA Juliana A. dos Santos

OH Hailey A. Sullivan TX Elaine Lui WV Christopher M. Nestor

OK Wendy M. Lau Wong TX Sabrina N. Benge WV Kurt E. Kowalski

OR Demri A. Horton TX Amira E.H.A. Abouhadid WI Josephine J.M. LoCurto

PA Alyssa M. Altman TX Mohamed Tarek M.H. Mohamed WY Kyle J. Gilman

PA Jed P. Popovitch TX Abdul Rafey Siddiqui Collegiate Chapter Advisors: AK Margaret M. Darrow FL David J. Cowan Jr. MI Stephanie M. Miller

AR Charles W. Caldwell IL Geoffrey A. Williamson MI Michael L. Benson

CA Rebecca D. Glaudell IN Jeffery J. Leader MI Bradley J. Martens

CA Zubair Ahmed IN Leo H. McWilliams MI Maryssa L. Mercer

CA Ateeq J. Suria IA LeVern W. Faidley NM Allen D. Erickson

CA William R. Goodin IA Richard J. Smith NC Ricky T. Castles

CA Christopher W. Potts KY Bruce L. Walcott OH Harwood A. Hegna

CO Scott M. Busch MD David S. Kaplan SD Richard A. Reid

DC Robert E. Efimba MD Gbekeloluwa B. Oguntimein FL Paul Schnitzler MA CiCi Pham Executive Council Candidates: LeVern W. Faidley, IA ’67 * Russell W. Pierce, WA ’70 Mennatoallah M. Youssef, VA ’04 Wayne B. Paugh, FL ’93 George Youssef, NJ ’01 Jeffrey S. Zola, NY ’91 * Alumni Chapter Delegates: Ann Arbor Area Kyle A. Lady, MI ’10 Pikes Peak Michele L. Gaudreault, MA ’83 Atlanta James P. Fairbanks, GA ’16 Portland Jeffrey S. Zola, NY ’91 Baltimore Heather L. Hunt, KY ’13 Puget Sound Malena L. Foster, WA ’06 Central Connecticut Robert A. Piombino, CT ’78 Richmond Jessica R. Arble, VA ’14 Central Illinois Lauren H. Logan, OH ’10 Rochester, NY Thomas A. Pinkham IV, MA ’88 Central Texas Joseph E. McMillian, TX ’11 Rocket City Jayme S. Berstell, AL ’12 Chicago Joshua I. Larson, MI ’11 Sacramento Alexander F. Weaver, CA ’13 Front Range Sandra B. Pitzak, CO ’00 San Francisco Bay Area Elson Y. Liu, AZ ’01 Greater Boston Leah B. Moore, OH ’10 Southeastern Michigan Colleen L. Hill-Stramsak, MI ’00 Greater New Orleans Phillip W. Hebert Sr., LA ’87 Southern California Kyle J. Dominguez, CA ’12 Greater San Diego Jeffrey Saikali, OH ’96 Tampa Bay Jason A. Abellada, FL ’04 New York City Jennifer Lui, NY ’13 Texas Gulf Coast Bradley W. Utz, OH ’78 Ohio's North Coast Teisha L.N. Mullins, OH ’15 Washington, DC Khabeer Salaam, DC ’14 Palm Beach/Broward Midge H. Royer, TX ’05 West Michigan Lisa E. Dohn, IL ’12 Phoenix Stephen E. Hermens, AZ ’15 Alumnus Visitors & Laureates: Baldwin B. Chiu, CA U ’98 Jason J. Larkin, CA ’15 Alfred P. Navato, MA ’06 Edward M. Corwin, SD A ’74 Peter W. Likins, CA ’57 Keri L. Pittard, UT ’02 Christopher J. Creveling, UT ’13 Antonette M. Logar, SD A ’78 Murray E. Rudin, NY ’83 Eugene M. DeLoatch, DC ’59 Pritpaul S. Mahal, MI ’07 Angadbir S. Sabherwal, IA ’16 Nathan J. Ferraro, OK ’16 Robert L. Markley, OH ’65 Steven A. Stramsak, MI ’01 Debra A. Kimberling, AZ ’81 Kenneth L. Martin, NM ’83 Robert C. Styles, AL ’76 Stephan L. King-Monroe, MI ’08 Donald P. McMillan, PA A ’81 Kiersten K. Wang, FL ’16 Harry W. Lange, MI ’75 Marilia Mercader, PR ’82 Alfred P. Navato, MA ’06 Representatives of the petitioning society: Brigham Young University - Idaho

Faculty: James J. Lawrence, UT G ’99

Student: Patrick J. Fisher


Hosts: Local arrangements for the Convention were headed by Arrangements Chair Arianna N. Lasche (CA ). The host chapters included California Xi, California Psi, California Alpha Epsilon, and the Greater San Diego Alumni Chapter. California Xi members and initiates assisting at the Convention were: A. Aleshin, C.E. Allen, L.R. Bray, K.R. Gini, H.S. Hodges, A. Reynoso, N.N. Martin, S.D. Morton, J.W. Power, O.B. Ready, K.K. Reid, A.M. Reinhardt, and C.D. Sutherland. Other volunteers included: C.B. Danahy (CA ), L.G. Filomeo (CA, F.M. Fong, (CA P.H Kimpel III (DE , J.T. To (CA ), R.E. Winship (CA and J. Zhou (CA ), Representatives from the 2017 host chapter, Michigan Gamma, were in attendance. Representatives of the Association in attendance were: Officers and Officials President Joseph P. Blackford Vice President Norman Pih Councillors Susan L.R. Holl George J. Morales

Alan J. Passman Director of Alumni Affairs Tricia E. Gomulinski Director of the District Program Kelly J. Hammar Director of Engineering Futures Kathleen L. Colbry Director of Fellowships Sally J. Steadman Director of Rituals Edward J. D'Avignon Executive Director Curtis D. Gomulinski Assistant Secretary-Treasurer Roger E. Hawks Secretary-Treasurer Emeritus James D. Froula Convention Chair Ronald M. Hickling Parliamentarian Jason A. Abellada *

District Directors District 1 Mallory D. Ivanowsky

Haley H. Smestad Lauren J. Swett District 2 Anthony M. Olenik Thomas A. Pinkham IV *

Jason Rogan Lara L. Spinelli District 3 Justin M. Glasgow

Christopher C. McComb District 4 Melissa L. Morris Russell L. Werneth District 5 Meghan C. Ferrall-Fairbanks

Josuan Hilerio-Sanchez District 6 Laura M. Martin

Crystal L. McCartney Ellen S. Styles District 7 Timothy D. Anderson Michael J. Hand III Warren C. Roos District 8 Bruce A. DeVantier Thomas F. Schaub Jr. District 9 K. Cody Johnson Raymond P. LeBeau

Will D. Lindquist District 10 Madison R. Herman Jose E. Suarez District 11 Christina M. Harrison James C. Hill District 12 George K. Miyata Matthew T. Pittard District 13 Jeffrey G. Dabling C. Christopher Stemple District 14 Ian J. Frank Janette A. Keiser District 15 Aaron R. Alpert Daniel T. Kruusmagi District 16 Neal T. Bussett Sam Rokni Stacey H. Ross

Headquarters Staff Angela R. Boles Rebecca M. Davis William Dickson

Sherry D. Jennings-King Sherry L. King

Dylan S. Lane Patricia M. McDaniel

* Names with an asterisk indicate members with two roles who appear elsewhere in the list of attendees.


Meetings of all Convention Committees were held in rooms of the Town and Country Convention Center at 8:00 a.m. Appointment of delegates to the Convention Committees had been made by the Executive Director in advance as required by the Constitution, and the committees were given instructions and information about their assignments. Not all voting delegates are appointed to committees. Standing committees are specified in the Constitution. Ad hoc Committees are authorized by the Executive Council. Committees select their own chairs, and Association Officials serve as advisors for each committee. Committees for this Convention were: Awards Committee: AZ A Matthew R. Dzurick MA E Ashley Testa Aaron R. Alpert

District 15 Director, Advisor AZ B Kaleia Kramer MI B Julia Zayan, Chair CA Q Scott I. Salazar MO E Catherine C. Gloss Melissa L. Morris

District 4 Director, Advisor CA L Deborah H. Porter TX L Beatriz Alba CA AE Sarah E. Kapple WA B Kyle D. Deatherage Lara L. Spinelli

District 2 Director, Advisor KY G William E. Johnson III WI D Austin V. Campbell Lauren J. Swett

District 1 Director, Advisor

Chapter and Association Financial Affairs Committee: AZ D August C. Giering NY K Justin S. Schumacher Justin M. Glasgow

District 3 Director, Advisor CA K Andrew J. Theodore SC A Elizabeth T. Zanin IL D Rachel T. Levine SC B R. Brock Fletcher K. Cody Johnson

District 9 Director, Advisor IA A Anthony C. LoCurto UT B Jeffrey K. Griffiths, Chair KS G Damian Cyr VA E Andy N. Vo James C. Hill

District 11 Director, Advisor KY B Helen J. Lu WI B John T. Luepke LA A Chase R. Courville AAAAC Kyle A. Lady Alan J. Passman

TBP Treasurer, Advisor NV A Timothy J. Kwist SEMIAC Colleen L. Hill-Stramsak Thomas F. Schaub


Constitution and Bylaws Committee: AK A Bryce A. Hiles, Chair NY B Yenis V. Argueta Joseph P. Blackford

TBP President, Advisor AZ G Amanda K. Crawford OH K Mark J. Archual CA H Erick J. Bi OR A Owen C. Madin Michael J. Hand III

District 7 Director, Advisor DC A Chinonye D. Pat-Ekeji PA E Michael D. Bennett FL Z Monty N J. Attzs Chicago Joshua I. Larson Janette A. Keiser

District 14 Director, Advisor KY A Jonathan F. Coburn Sacramento Alexander F. Weaver LA E Pawan Aryal Daniel T. Kruusmag,


Convention Site Committee: CA R Majerle E. Reeves OH G Lagnajit Pattanaik Bruce A. DeVantier

District 8 Director, Advisor CO B Alexandrea L. Viert OH D Steven V. Wise CO E Derique A. Duran PA Z Maria Raggousis Mallory D. Ivanowsky

District 1 Director, Advisor FL Q Daniela S. Gil VT B Artmiz Golkramnay, Chair GA A Tivon T. Tsung WV B Yazid Amrani Crystal L. McCartney

District 6 Director, Advisor MI G Rachel L. Neumann Atlanta James P. Fairbanks MS A Zachary H. Collins Fr. Range Sandra B. Pitzak Jose E. Suarez

District 10 Director, Advisor MO B Greggory D. Van Loon Richmond Jessica R. Arble MO D Maureen A. Muller Tampa Bay Jason A. Abellada NC G Pak-hang Yuen West MI Lisa E. Dohn Curriculum Review Committee (ad hoc): AR A Christopher M. Matthews NY A Jaeyoung Jung Pikes Peak Michele D. Gaudreault CA Y Rachel L. Hsiong, Vice Chair NY P Lauren E. Samar DE A David M. Cohen NY S Peter B. Hoskins Timothy D. Anderson

District 7 Director, Advisor FL A Felipe L. Carvalho OH H Adam J. Messer IL G Jimmy L. Ding OR B Kevin J. Riley Jeffrey G. Dabling

District 13 Director, Advisor IN B Kaelyn R. Griffin TN G Andrew I. Doyka MD D Sean Najmi TX G Julia L. Voltz Will D. Lindquist

District 9 Director, Advisor MI I Benjamin J. Pollatz WY A Gideon D. Baldwin MS B Sherman A. Jones Central TX Joseph E. McMillian Christopher C. McComb



Engineering Futures Review (ad hoc): AL A Madeline M. Bonifay MI Q Matthew C. Bloom Kathleen L. Colbry, Director of

Engineering Futures, Advisor CA M Sara L. Wier NJ G Indiana Suriel CA AB Sarah A. Alfeerawi NY I John-James Tesoriero Sam Rokni

District 16 Director, Advisor DC G Abbie E. Gillen, Chair NY R Mamadou M. Toure FL D Benjamin D. Marotta ND B Jeffrey L. Gendreau C. Chris Stemple

District 13 Director, Advisor MD G Benjamin H. Bailin RI B Jeremiah P. Sullivan II MI H Luis J. Rodriguez Rocket City Jayme S. Berstell Petitions Committee: FL G Christina-Anne K. Lahiff, Chair PA M Joseph P. Helbling Meghan C. Ferrall-Fairbanks

District 5 Director, Advisor ID B Christopher S. White TX D Diego E. Zambrano IL E Stephanie Venis TX N Susana A. Ortega K. Cody Johnson

District 9 Director, Advisor NJ A Jonathan Itskovitch WI A Cassandra T. Bradley OH L Elizabeth A. Rogenski Central IL Lauren H. Logan James C. Hill

District 11 Director, Advisor OH X Evan A. Bader San Diego Jeffrey Saikali Alan J. Passman

TBP Treasurer, Advisor Resolutions Committee: CA A Wesley Y. Guo NC D James C. Freeman, Chair Palm Beach Midge H. Royer CA AA Eric R. Lovell ND A Patrick A. Bergh MD B Tatyana Kiryutina OH Z Stephanie A. Andrews Madison R. Herman

District 10 Director, Advisor MA H Mina B. Botros OH N Zachery W. Cole MT A Caroline Lima Salles De Souza PA L Givan M. Amaratunga Sherry D. Jennings-King

Major Gifts Officer, Advisor NV B Andrew L. Poland TX A Andrew L. Yeang NJ Z Leon E. Collins III TX H Nyoka A. Florius Ellen S. Styles

District 6 Director, Advisor NY M Galen D. Moynihan Baltimore Heather L. Hunt Rituals Committee: AL G Hemali V. Patel MI Z Alec M. Gradl Edward J. D'Avignon

Director of Rituals, Advisor AL E Marina Swanepoel NH A Sean T. Philbrick CA X Sean P. Bennett SD A Kathryn D. Starr Warren C. Roos

District 7 Director, Advisor CA W Robert A. Cyprus TX Q Jacqueline A. Reyes IL Z Kristin M. Wiseman VA G Aaron D. LaDue, Chair Matthew T. Pittard


Lunch was at the delegates’ discretion starting beginning 11:00 a.m. around the Convention Center and at the local Fashion Valley Mall food court. An orientation meeting for committee chairs was held in the Towne Room at 11:30 a.m. ICE Training for Association Officials was held in Pacific Salon 3 at 11:45 a.m.

Committee Meetings reconvened at 12:30 p.m.

District Meetings were held in rooms of the Town and Country Convention Center at 3:00 p.m.

********************

FIRST BUSINESS MEETING Thursday, October 6, Town and Country Convention Center, San Diego, California

President Blackford called the Convention to order at 4:20 p.m. In accordance with the Bylaws, Executive Director C.D. Gomulinski had appointed himself to serve as Secretary of the Convention. The Secretary reported that a quorum was present although final registration was incomplete; 269 voting delegates and Association Officials were registered. President Blackford recognized Councillor Susan Holl to introduce the officials. She taught attendees the time-saving Tau Beta Pi applau and introduced members of the Executive Council, Director of Alumni Affairs T.E. Gomulinski, Director of the District Program K.J. Hammar, Director of Engineering Futures K.L. Colbry, Director of Fellowships S.J. Steadman, Director of Rituals E.J. D’Avignon, Executive Director C.D. Gomulinski, Assistant Secretary-Treasurer R.E. Hawks, Secretary-Treasurer Emeritus J.D. Froula, Convention Chair R.M. Hickling, Parliamentarian J.A. Abellada, Tellers Committee Chair Elson Y.-H. Liu,


and Credentials Committee Chair G.K. Miyata. District Directors and Engineering Futures Facilitators present were recognized in standing groups. President Blackford introduced the five candidates running for Executive Council.

President Blackford introduced welcoming speaker Peter W. Likins, Ph.D., who is past president of both Lehigh University and the University of Arizona. He spoke on the need to recognize the seminal moments in his life, how Tau Beta Pi played a important role in his career, and encouraged delegates to be on watch for important moments in their lives. The President’s Report for the Executive Council for 2015-16 was presented by J.P. Blackford. It is a part of these minutes and will be published in the Winter 2017 Bent.

Reports by the officers and program directors were given to the delegates. The President and Executive Director of the Association constitute the Committee on Order of Convention Business, according to the Bylaws. An agenda for the order of business had been prepared and sent to all delegates in advance. It was adopted on a voice vote on a motion by Executive Director Gomulinski, seconded by Michigan Gamma, as follows: First Business Meeting:

Official Opening of Convention

Report of the Credentials Committee

Introduction of Association Officials

Welcoming Address

President’s Report for Executive Council

Report of Officers of the Association

Report of the Convention Program Committee

Convention Orientation

5:30 p.m. Adjournment

Second Business Meeting:


Adoption of Standing Rules

Executive Council Nominations and Presentations

Report of and action on Petitions Committee

Report of and action on Constitution and Bylaws Committee

Report of and action on Financial Affairs Committee

Report of and action on Rituals Committee

Report of and action on Convention Site Committee

Report of and action on Curriculum Review Committee (ad hoc)

10:30 a.m. Adjournment

Third Business Meeting:


Election of members of the Executive Council

Action if necessary on Petitions Committee

Action if necessary on Constitution and Bylaws Committee

Action if necessary on Financial Affairs Committee

Action if necessary on Convention Site Committee

Action if necessary on Rituals Committee

Report of Resolutions Committee

Report of Awards Committee

Action if necessary on Curriculum Review Committee (ad hoc)

Action if necessary on Engineering Futures Review

Committee (ad hoc)

New Business

12:30 p.m. Adjournment

Final Business Meeting:

Distinguished Alumnus Award Presentation

Laureate Presentation

Final Report of Awards Committee

Final Report of Resolutions Committee

Farewell Messages

Adjournment Sine Die

President Blackford announced that the Executive Council had appointed R.M. Hickling as permanent Chair of the Convention, in accord with the Bylaws. He yielded the gavel to Mr. Hickling, who announced that J.A. Abellada would serve as Convention Parliamentarian, Robert’s Rules of Order Revised would be followed at the business meetings subject to the provisions of the Constitution & Bylaws, and closure would be reached on all business issues. Chairman Hickling declared the First Business Meeting of the Convention closed at 5:35 p.m.

********************

A Welcoming Barbeque was held at 5:40 p.m. in the Tiki Pavilion of the Town and Country Resort and Convention Center. The buffet featured hamburgers, BBQ chicken, hot dogs, and all the fixings with fruit and carrot cake for dessert enjoyed by 470 people. Committee Meetings reconvened at 7:30 p.m.

Professional Development Sessions and LEAD Training for Advisors convened at 8:15 p.m.

District meetings reconvened at 9:30 p.m. and again at 8:00 a.m. on Friday morning. A continental breakfast was available for attendees starting at 7:15 a.m. in the Golden Ballroom.

LEAD Training for Advisors reconvened at 8:45 a.m.

********************


SECOND BUSINESS MEETING Friday, October 7, Town and Country Convention Center, San Diego, CA

Chairman Hickling called the meeting to order at 9:02 a.m. Convention Secretary Gomulinski reported that registration

was complete with 6 Executive Council members, 4 Program Directors, 16 District Directors, 221 Collegiate Chapters, and 26 Alumni Chapters for a total of 273 voting delegates. Mr. Hickling, on behalf of the Engineering Futures Review Committee, asked that delegates complete the Engineering Futures survey. Mr. Hickling presented the standing rules for the 2016 Convention. He indicated that they assist in managing the business of Convention and are common sense practices. J. Saikali (Greater San Diego AC) moved, seconded by M.A. Muller (MO D), to adopt the standing rules. Mr. Hickling directed any delegate whose vote had not been counted to register their phone with the Parliamentarian. Mr. Hickling clarified the rules related to roll-call vote and the debate limits. There was no debate and a vote was called by text ballot. The motion passed with 193 in favor and 9 against. The standing rules appear below.

1. Identification. a. The Credentials Committee shall issue identification badges and colored wristbands, which shall be

worn for admission to Convention activities. Badges and wristbands may not be transferred without proper action by the Credentials Committee. Wristbands for voting delegates shall be yellow, and lost wristbands shall be immediately reported to the Credentials Committee.

b. Voting delegates must check in with a member of the Tellers Committee prior to entering the Convention Business Meeting room. Voting delegates must check out when leaving the room and check in when returning to the room while the meeting is in session.

2. Voting.

a. At their discretion, the presiding officer may request a “show of wristbands” in lieu of a rising vote. b. A counted vote shall be taken by a text voting procedure approved by the Tellers Committee. c. Text voting shall be open for 30 seconds for each question for which it is used. d. Voting delegates who do not have a cell phone or text capabilities will be issued paper ballots by the

Tellers Committee to record their votes. e. A vote may be taken by roll-call only when three-fourths vote in favor of a roll-call vote.

3. Recognition.

a. To request recognition, a delegate shall be at one of the microphones placed throughout the Convention Business Meeting room.

b. Upon recognition by the presiding officer, a delegate shall state their name and representing chapter. 4. Debate. For each debatable motion, a delegate shall be limited to one (1) speech of not more than five (5)

minutes each unless the Convention orders otherwise. 5. Executive Council Elections.

a. Nominations received prior to Convention and on the floor of Convention shall be accepted. b. Speeches of up to two (2) minutes by each candidate shall follow the closing of nominations. c. The method of voting shall be text voting as approved by the Tellers Committee. d. The election of Councillors shall occur by position. On the first ballot for each position, all unelected

nominees shall be included on the ballot. Each position shall be filled by a majority vote. After each ballot, if no candidate receives a majority vote, the nominee receiving the least number of votes shall be dropped from subsequent ballots for that position. This procedure shall be repeated until all Councillors have been elected.

Mr. Hickling reported that since no nominations for the Executive Council were received prior to the April 1, 2016, deadline, nominations would be accepted from the floor in addition to the five received prior to Convention. J.R. Arble (Richmond AC) nominated M.M. Youssef, VA G ’04, who accepted the nomination. Hearing no further nominations, Chairman Hickling ruled nominations were closed. At the request of Chairman Hickling, Executive Director Gomulinski explained the election process to delegates. Each candidate would be given two minutes to make a presentation during this meeting. Candidates would also make presentations at the District Meetings during Convention, be available at receptions this evening, answer questions, and stand for election during the Third Business Meeting. Mr. Hickling recognized LeVern W. Faidley, IA A ’67, to make his presentation. Dr. Faidley indicated he has been an advisor and chief advisor to Iowa Alpha for over 30 years, attends the chapter’s meetings and activities on a regular basis, and enjoys working with students. He believes his experience as an advisor and his work experience with finances and strategic planning


would be an asset to the Executive Council. He has served on Tau Beta Pi’s Advisor Recruitment and Development Committee and served as a scholarship and fellowship application reviewer. Wayne B. Paugh, FL G ’93, was called to make his presentation. Mr. Paugh started his career in mechanical engineering working with robotics but returned to school to earn a law degree specializing in intellectual property. He currently works in the U.S. attorney’s office for the District of Colorado after serving in executive and managerial roles for 13 years in Washington, DC. He believes the vision of Tau Beta Pi of “creating a better world” is important and wants to see our branding and image improved so people know Tau Beta Pi as well as they know the American Bar Association. He has served as an Engineering Futures Facilitator for three years. Chairman Hickling introduced candidate Russell W. Pierce, WA A ’70. Mr. Pierce thanked Washington Alpha, Alaska Alpha, and Tennessee Delta for nominating him. Russ would like to leverage his 30 years of technical leadership and operations management experience for Tau Beta Pi. In addition to serving as District 5 Director, Executive Councillor, and Director of Engineering Futures, Russ has served as an Engineering Futures Facilitator for over 24 years. He is interested in giving back to Tau Beta Pi and looks forward to the opportunity to help guide Tau Beta Pi through change in the 21st century. George Youssef, NJ G ’01, came forward to make his presentation. Mr. Youssef congratulated his fellow candidates and indicated that the Association would be well served by electing any of the candidates. George would bring his operations experience at GE to simplify and make the Association more efficient. He emphasized the importance of change in the workplace and for organizations like Tau Beta Pi. He has served as a District 2 Director for seven years and looks forward to the opportunity to serve the Association on the Executive Council. Mr. Hickling introduced Mennatoallah M. Youssef, VA G ’04, to make her presentation. Ms. Youssef started by sharing that she was not related to Mr. Youssef. She received her undergraduate degree from Old Dominion and her Ph.D. from the University of Dayton. She currently works as a patent examiner at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. She is interested in seeing Tau Beta Pi take a more active role in public policy and wants to see more opportunities for members to remain active in the Association following graduation. Menna has served as a chapter advisor and member of the Advisor Recruitment and Development Committee. Jeffrey S. Zola, NY D ’91, presented his introductory remarks. Mr. Zola became active in Tau Beta Pi 2 ½ years ago after being away for two decades. He indicated that Tau Beta Pi brings together the top 20 percent of engineering students and alumni from engineering schools across the country, and this is a fantastic group to engage and network with during your entire life. He believes he would bring an outsider’s perspective to the Executive Council and wants to see the Association offer opportunities for members to stay engaged so their involvement doesn’t lapse as it did in his case and so many of our members. Mr. Hickling thanked the candidates and noted that elections would take place during the Third Business Meeting. The Report of the Committee on Petitions was called. C.-A. K. Lahiff (FL G), Chair, reported that her group had two charges including reviewing a petition from the local honor society at BYU-Idaho and making recommendations on changes to the petitioning process. She introduced Patrick J. Fisher, president of Tau Beta Delta at BYU-Idaho. He provided an overview of their school and local society. BYU-Idaho graduated 175 engineering students last year, 8 faculty are members of Tau Beta Pi, and 90 students have been initiated into their local society. Membership is offered to the top 1/8th of the junior class and top 1/5th of the senior class, and members visit local elementary schools where they engage students in STEM activities. Ms. Lahiff moved, seconded by S.I. Salazar (CA Q), to approve the petition from Brigham Young University-Idaho and grant a charter to the institution. She reported that her committee reviewed the petition and the inspection committee’s report and interviewed the representatives from the local society. The entire committee was unanimous in recommending approval of the petition, and she encouraged delegates to grant the charter. There was no further discussion, and the vote was taken by text ballot with paper ballots provided to delegates without text capabilities. Mr. Hickling announced the results: 242 in favor and 4 opposed. The chapter was therefore granted, to be known as Idaho Delta. Representatives were brought in front of the room and given a standing ovation. Continuing her report, Ms. Lahiff moved, seconded by M.E. Reeves (CA R), to adopt a series of changes to the Constitution and Bylaws to simplify the petitioning process and remove the standing Petitions Committee as a part of granting a chapter. The committee felt that the rigorous process put in place by the Constitution and Bylaws ensures chapters meet the requirements prior to Convention review and no petition has been rejected over the past 80 years. The change would make the process more efficient and the Executive Council could request a review by Convention if there are questions about a petition. On a request by S. Najmi (MD D), Mr. Hickling asked Executive Director Gomulinski to review the petitioning process. Mr. Gomulinski shared that the Executive Council reviews a petition and if it meets the requirements in the Constitution and Bylaws, an inspection committee consisting of students and officials visits the campus and makes a report to the Executive Council. The Council reviews the report and then makes a recommendation to the Convention regarding the petition. N.T.


Bussett (D16 Dir.) spoke against the motion in that a petition could be rejected by only three members of the Executive Council. T.J. Kwist (NV A) asked if the Executive Council endorsed this change. S.L.R. Holl (Executive Councillor) stated that the Executive Council endorsed this change because no petition has been rejected by Convention in over 80 years and the change would streamline the process. J.N. Zayan (MI B) spoke against the change as it would take away student input at the national level and reduce visibility for the petitioning society at Convention. J. Itskovitch (NJ A) spoke in favor as new groups could make a presentation at the subsequent Convention. A.R. Alpert (D15 Dir.) voiced his opposition because the process is already efficient as the presentation from BYU-Idaho only took two minutes and that our culture has been to allow students to have the final say in the process. E.A. Bader (OH X) supported the change as it puts the authority to grant chapters with the Executive Council who are better qualified to review petitions and this would give more time to spend in other committees. C.K. Tran (CA G) expressed her opposition in that a committee would be required if the Association wanted to withdraw a charter. On a question from T.T. Tsung (GA A), Chairman Hickling reported that a 3/4 vote by Convention taken by roll-call is required to annul a chapter. F.L. Carvalho (FL A) believes that the authority to grant chapters should remain with Convention as annulling a chapter would be bad for Tau Beta Pi’s image. C.T. Bradley (WI A) commented that granting of chapters could still be considered by Convention but wouldn’t be required with this proposed change. J.S. Zola (Portland AC) proposed amending the motion to simply abolish the Petitions Committee and the Executive Council could bring the petitions directly to the floor of Convention. Without objection, Chairman Hickling committed the motion back to the Petitions Committee for further consideration.

The Report of the Committee on Constitution and Bylaws was called. B.A. Hiles (AK A), Chair, reported that his committee met three times yesterday and was charged with four major tasks: review progress on the general revision to the Constitution and Bylaws, recommend action to allow for single-term Fellows, recommend action on changes to the procedure for Executive Council nominations and elections, and review proposals from other committees related to the Constitution and Bylaws. He indicated that the committee had reviewed information regarding the general revision and provided feedback to the Petitions Committee on their proposed changes. He moved, seconded by E.J. Bi (CA H), to amend Bylaw III, Section 10.03(a) to allow Fellows to receive a partial term of funding. The proposed changes were shown to the delegates on a screen. In accordance with the amending provisions of the Bylaws, Chairman Hickling, without objection, postponed until the Third Business Meeting consideration of the motion so it may be adopted by Convention without chapter ratification.

The Report of the Committee on Chapter and Association Financial Affairs was called. J.K. Griffiths (UT B), Chair, noted that his committee had been charged with five tasks including reviewing the chapter accounts receivable to Headquarters, the auditor’s reports for 2014-15 and 2015-16 and the Treasurer’s Report for 2015-16, reimbursement of non-voting delegates and advisors to attend Convention, unusual expenses for the 2016 Convention, and the process for determining allowable expenses for the 2017 Convention. Regarding the first charge, the committee met with three chapters who had unresolved balances with Headquarters and each outlined a plan to resolve their outstanding balance.

Regarding the review of the Association’s finances, Mr. Griffiths reported that assets, liabilities, revenue, and expenses

have remained relatively consistent. The main source of revenue for the Association comes from alumni donations, earnings on the trust investments, and initiation fees. While the Association has been operating on a deficit for the last three years, the committee felt the increased initiation fee of $10 per new initiate and cost-saving initiatives were helping to bring expenses in line with revenue. The committee noted that Convention is one of our largest expenses and that we continue to monitor trust earnings to prevent losses in the endowed funds.

The committee reviewed the funding for non-voting delegates and advisors to attend Convention. The committee feels the

advantages of having additional delegates attend Convention include stronger officer teams, improved chapter continuity, the ability to exchange ideas, and increased funding for the Association through higher initiation rates which result in more future potential donors. For non-voting delegates, the committee recommended revising the application to consider anticipated graduation dates and whether the chapter is struggling. Delegates should be required to attend committee meetings and electees should be considered for funding. They also recommended increasing program awareness. For chapter advisors, the committee recommended surveying advisors to identify incentives for advisors to attend Convention. The decision should be made by the Executive Council with recommendations by the District Directors. An advisor program at District Conferences should be added and recognition of advisors should be emphasized at the Advisor and Mentor Appreciation Banquet.

Chairman Hickling recognized E.J. Bi (CA H) to present an unusual expenditure request. Mr. Bi moved, seconded by R.L.

Neumann (MI G), to reimburse up to $150 for child care expenses for a delegate to the 2016 Convention. Mr. Bi indicated that the delegate and the delegate’s spouse both work and have a young child needing day care while the delegate is at Convention. The committee believed this was a reasonable request and recommended approval. J.N. Zayan (MI B) asked if this would be only for this year, and Mr. Hickling noted the proposal was only for this Convention. J.A. Keiser (D14 Dir.) asked if this was known beforehand, and Executive Director Gomulinski replied that the request had come in over the previous weekend. Mr. Griffiths said it was a last minute request, the delegate had attempted to find a caregiver, and the committee wanted to look out for one of our members. K.J. Riley (OR B) spoke in favor of the motion stating that as a parent with limited resources, he believed the Association should cover the expense so the delegate could attend Convention. F.L Carvalho (FL A)


believes Tau Beta Pi should not discriminate, officers make a number of sacrifices, and that we should reimburse the expense as it isn’t a lot of money. J. Lui (New York City AC) asked if there would be a limit on reimbursements, and Chairman Hickling responded that this is a one-time reimbursement and was not setting Association policy. P.W. Herbert (Greater New Orleans AC) noted that this is a small amount of money which should be handled by the committee. Mr. Hickling reported that the Constitution and Bylaws grants the authority to the Convention to make these decisions which cannot be addressed right now. J. Itskovitch (NJ A) stated that this is the right thing to do and the Association should reimburse the expense. E.J Bi (CA H) moved, seconded by E.R. Lovell (CA AA), the previous question. The motion to close debate passed on a voice vote, and Mr. Hickling then put the main motion to a voice vote. The motion passed on a voice vote.

Mr. Griffiths indicated the committee had left the reimbursement for the 2017 Convention the same as the 2016

Convention with one minor change. Plane tickets over $600 require pre-approval from Headquarters, terminal expenses including travel connections and parking would be covered, travel by car will be reimbursed at $0.30 per mile plus an additional $0.05 per mile for each additional member passenger, tolls will be covered, and en-route lodging reimbursement is limited to $60 per delegate. En-route meals will be reimbursed at $10 for dinner, $8 for lunch, and $8 for breakfast. The breakfast reimbursement was increased by $2 reflecting increased meals costs and would have a $200 impact on total expenses. He moved, seconded by A.L. Viert (CO B), to adopt the reimbursement schedule. On a question by J.P. Blackford (TBP President), Executive Director Gomulinski noted the mileage reimbursement rate was for as many delegates as could fit in a vehicle. A. Nourmahnad (PA K) stated that while the breakfast reimbursement was not substantial, it could amount to the cost of a scholarship if more chapters utilized the reimbursement. Hearing no further debate, Mr. Hickling put the matter to a vote, and the motion passed on a voice vote. Mr. Griffiths presented a series of recommendations for the Executive Council to consider for future reimbursements by Convention.

The Report of the Committee on Rituals was called. A.D. LaDue (VA G), Chair, shared that his committee had completed a full rehearsal earlier in the day, and they were prepared to conduct the Model Initiation later today. He indicated that there was an emergency concern regarding the Model Initiation. He requested that C.C. Veer (SD A Alt.) be recognized. Ms. Veer shared that we have a deaf delegate among us and that the Association should allow for an American Sign Language interpreter attend the Model Initiation so the delegate could better appreciate the ceremony. J.P. Blackford (TBP President) called for Orders of the Day. Chairman Hickling ruled that the agenda calls for the report of the Rituals Committee, and the topic is germane to their report. Mr. LaDue moved, seconded by J. Saikali (Greater San Diego AC), to allow an American Sign Language interpreter to attend the Model Initiation to accommodate the needs of one of our delegates. E.J. D’Avignon (Dir. of Rituals) noted this was a one-time case and the 2017 Convention would consider the matter in more detail. Mr. Hickling reported that the time for the meeting had nearly expired, and Z.J. Sprinkle moved, seconded by J. Saikali (Greater San Diego AC), to extend the meeting by 5 minutes. Mr. Hickling commented, on a request by J.P. Blackford, that the motion to extend was not debatable. On a voice vote, Mr. Hickling determined that the necessary 2/3 voted in favor and the motion to extend passed. Mr. Blackford spoke against the motion as the person in question was already a member and while he was sensitive to the needs of our members, a reasonable accommodation of providing a written copy of the initiation ritual was planned. He believes this is a slippery slope for the Association and where would we draw the line in making accommodations. He also believes there are legal ramifications we should consider. E.J. D’Avignon pointed out that all members have pledged to keep the motto and ritual secret. H.L. Hunt (Baltimore AC) stated the Association should be sensitive to the delegate’s needs and this is a reasonable one-time accommodation that the Association should grant while we explore options for the future. D.A. Duran (CO E) moved, seconded by F.L. Carvalho (FL A), to extend the meeting by 10 minutes. On a text vote, the motion passed with a vote of 149 in favor and 91 against. Mr. Blackford called for Orders of the Day, but Mr. Hickling ruled the motion out of order as there was a pending motion before the body. S. Rokni (D16 Dir.) suggested a member could serve as the interpreter, but Chairman Hickling remarked that we did not have a member qualified in American Sign Language to serve in that capacity. A.J. Passman (TBP Treasurer) commented that the Convention should take action on this matter now and not use Robert’s Rules of Order to delay consideration of the matter. Mr. Hickling mentioned the Convention could suspend the rules by a 2/3 vote to extend the meeting until the motion is voted on. On a text vote of 221 in favor and 38 against, the Convention suspended the rules to allow the meeting to continue until the pending motion is voted on. Mr. Hickling called for a voice vote on the motion which he believed to be in the affirmative, but requested a text vote be taken on the request for a division by J.P. Blackford. On a vote of 165 in favor and 86 against, the motion passed. Chairman Hickling adjourned the meeting at 10:55 a.m.

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The Headquarters display was viewed during the Convention in the lobby of the Town and Country Resort and Convention Center. From 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., a Recruiting Fair was staffed by: ACCO Engineered Systems, Aerotek, Boise State University, Columbia University, Eaton, George Washington University, Illumina, Intel, Iowa State University, University of Kansas, Keck Graduate Institute, University of Kentucky, Lehigh University, University of Miami, University of Michigan, Michigan State University, Michigan Technological University, Micro Systems Engineering, Missouri University of Science and Technology, NAVY, New Jersey Institute of Technology, New York University, North Carolina State University, Northrop


Grumman, Northeastern University, Northwestern University, The University of Notre Dame (ESTEEM), University of Pennsylvania, University of Pittsburgh, Purdue University, Saint Louis University, Sandia National Laboratories, University of Southern California, Texas A&M University, Tufts University, Texas Instruments, ViaSat, Virginia Commonwealth University, West Virginia University, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and 159 Solutions, Inc. Additional sponsors who were not recruiting included Autodesk, GEICO, Paradigm Corporation, The PhD Project, PPI, and Pratt & Whitney. Professional Development Sessions were held in rooms of the Town and Country Resort and Convention Center from 8:15 p.m. to 9:15 p.m. on Thursday, October 7, and from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Friday, October 7. Sessions included: Big Issues Discussion—Scott M. Busch; Building Up Your Chapter Officers—George K. Miyata; Chapter Fun on Any Budget—Ian J. Frank; Connecting Your Community—Tricia E. Gomulinski; Engineering a Career in Cybersecurity—Thomas F. Schaub Jr.; God was an Engineer: A Talk on Engineering Ethics—Khabeer Salaam; Graduate Fellowships—Sally J. Steadman; How to Effectively Finance Grad School Education—Tiffany L. Porties; Intro to Body Language—Jason A. Abellada; Intro to Fusion 360: The Future of Making Things—Jeff Lee; K-12 MindSET Info Session—Dylan S. Lane; Lead, Follow, or Get Out of the Way! —Russell W. Pierce; Managing Your Investments for Retirement—Harry W. Lange; Move Up the Ladder—Christina M. Harrison; Networking Through Conversation—Janette A. Keiser; The Nuclear Navy—Lt. Ben Mooney; Office Politics & Dealing with Headhunters—Robert L. Markley; Robert’s Rules—Jason A. Abellada; Should I Go to Graduate School—Bruce Lindvall; What the Career Office didn’t Tell You—Edward J. D’Avignon; Why so Few Women in Engineering?—Debra A. Kimbering; Uncommon Career Choices in Engineering—Wayne B. Paugh; and Using ASEE Profiles to Apply for Graduate Admissions—Bruce Lindvall. A salad and sandwich buffet lunch consisting of salad and sandwiches was available at 11:30 a.m. in the Golden Ballroom.

Interactive Chapter Exchange (ICE) sessions were held at 2:45 p.m. The Advisor and Mentor Appreciation Banquet was held at 5:15 p.m. and seating was by ICE groups. A total of 460 people enjoyed the New York strip steak entree and creme brulee dessert. Michael J. Hand III, D7 Director, portrayed Ron Burgundy from the movie Anchorman and served as master of ceremonies.

Mr. Gomulinski presented a summary of the Executive Director’s Report for 2015-16, which was given to each Convention attendee on a flash drive and appeared in the Fall 2016 issue of The Bent.

Executive Director Gomulinski recognized the work of Chapter Advisors and emphasized the important role advisors play in the life of a chapter. For service of 8 years, he recognized A.M. Olenik, advisor to NY Tau; and P. Schnitzler, advisor to FL Gamma. He also recognized S.L.R. Holl for her 32 years of service to CA Upsilon. The Convention gave a well-deserved round of applause to all the advisors present at Convention. Vice President Pih recognized the service anniversaries of volunteers who have supported the Association for 6, 12, and 18 years. For 6 years of service: G.J. Morales (EFF), A.M Olenik (D2D), M.T. Pittard (D12D/D13D), and G. Youssef (D2D). For 12 years of service: C.M. Gorzkowski (EFF) and W.A. Harper (EFF). For 18 years of service: N.F. Gray (EFF) and L.A. Matta (EFF). He also recognized E.J. D’Avignon for 12 years as the Director of Rituals; R.W. Pierce for 24 years as a District 5 Director, Engineering Futures Facilitator, and former Executive Councillor; and E.S. Styles for 30 years as a District 6 Director, Engineering Futures Facilitator, and former Vice President of the Association. Executive Director Gomulinski recognized Roger E. Hawks for his 30 years of service to the Association as the Assistant Secretary-Treasurer. Mr. Gomulinski announced that the Secretary’s Commendation and Membership Awards had been discontinued. The Secretary’s Commendation had several drawbacks including missing a single report disqualified a chapter, not indicative of a truly outstanding chapter, reporting had grown easier, and the work recognized was completed by one or two officers. The Membership Award also had drawbacks including criteria that were difficult to explain, chapters were penalized for not initiating all electees, it was non-competitive, and the J.D. Froula Most Improved Membership Award now recognizes outstanding work in the area of membership. The Executive Council has created the Chapter Excellence Award to recognize chapters who excel in the initiation process, membership improvement, chapter operations, finances, Convention, program participation, and advisor involvement. While reporting is still important, chapters also receive points for improved membership, successful officer transitions, Convention and District Conference attendance, and participating in Association programs. In addition, bonus points are awarded for initiating non-undergraduate students, award nominations, and participation in MindSET and Pi Day activities. Fourteen chapters were given an Honorable Mention for the Chapter Excellence Award for 2015-16 for meeting the requirements of a Secretary’s Commendation: Georgia Beta, Illinois Alpha, Illinois Delta, Indiana Gamma, Indiana Epsilon, Kentucky Beta, New Mexico Gamma, Ohio Theta, Ohio Mu, Oregon Gamma, Pennsylvania Beta, Pennsylvania Mu, Vermont Beta, and Wisconsin Beta.


Mr. Gomulinski and Vice President Pih presented 33 Chapter Excellence Awards in 2015-16 to: Alabama Alpha, Alabama Delta, Alabama Epsilon, California Xi, California Omega, Colorado Alpha, Colorado Beta, Colorado Delta, District of Columbia Alpha, Florida Alpha, Florida Epsilon, Florida Zeta, Illinois Beta, Iowa Alpha, Maryland Alpha, Maryland Delta, Massachusetts Eta, Michigan Epsilon, New York Theta, New York Xi, North Dakota Beta, Ohio Iota, Ohio Lambda, Ohio Nu, Oklahoma Beta, South Carolina Beta, South Dakota Alpha, South Dakota Beta, Tennessee Alpha, Texas Alpha, Utah Beta, West Virginia Beta, and Wisconsin Alpha.

Mr. Gomulinski and Vice President Pih then presented 35 Chapter Project Awards for excellence in project work during 2015-16 to: Alabama Epsilon, Alaska Alpha, Arizona Alpha, California Alpha, California Gamma, California Epsilon, California Eta, California Xi, California Tau, California Psi, District of Columbia Alpha, Florida Alpha, Florida Gamma, Florida Theta, Indiana Delta, Indiana Epsilon, Iowa Alpha, Maryland Beta, Maryland Delta, Massachusetts Epsilon, Michigan Epsilon, Michigan Theta, Michigan Kappa, New Mexico Gamma, New York Tau, Ohio Iota, Ohio Kappa, Puerto Rico Alpha, South Carolina Alpha, Tennessee Alpha, Tennessee Gamma, Texas Alpha, Texas Epsilon, Wisconsin Alpha, and Wyoming Alpha. Ian Anderson, Marketing Portfolio Manager for GEICO, thanked Tau Beta Pi for its continued partnership, indicated that GEICO was pleased to sponsor the evening’s dinner and tomorrow’s lunch, and encouraged delegates to have a successful Convention.

Secretary Morales introduced the 2016 Tau Beta Pi-McDonald Mentor: Antonette M. Logar, Ph.D., SD A ’78. Dr. Logar was recognized for her accomplishments in supporting engineering students at the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology and presented her with $1,000 and an engraved medallion and pin. Dr. Morales announced that an additional $1,000 grant had been credited to the South Dakota Alpha Chapter.

Councillor Holl reviewed the history of the Outstanding Advisor Award program and presented the 2016 Tau Beta Pi

Outstanding Advisor: Sandra B. “Sandy” Pitzak, CO B ’00. She is Colorado Beta’s chief advisor. She spoke of Ms. Pitzak’s accomplishments and presented $1,000 to her and $1,000 for University of Colorado Boulder for the college’s discretionary fund.

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The Model Initiation was conducted at 7:30 p.m. in the Town and Country Room. The Rituals Committee and members of the host chapter had organized this ceremony. Director of Rituals D’Avignon explained to the delegates the importance of proper preparation for and conduction of the initiation ceremony, the purpose of the model ceremony, proper dress, and prompt reporting to Headquarters. He also shared that a non-disclosure agreement had been signed with the non-member interpreter present during the initiation. The initiation team consisted of President J.P. Blackford, Secretary-Treasurer Emeritus J.D. Froula, District 16 Director N.T. Bussett, members of the host chapters, and Ritual Committee members. The Model Initiation brought into membership in the Association three student members, one alumna, and one eminent engineer from the California Xi and California Psi Chapters. Baldwin B. Chiu, CA U ’98, presented a concert under his stage name, Only Won, along with his wife Larissa Lam at 8:45 p.m. in the Golden Ballroom. Committee meetings reconvened at 10:00 p.m.

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THIRD BUSINESS MEETING Saturday, October 8, Town and Country Convention Center, San Diego, CA

Chairman Hickling called the meeting to order at 9:28 a.m. Chairman Hickling stated that he and Secretary Gomulinski had prepared a new order of business for the Third Business Meeting. Hearing no objections, he ruled the amended order of business adopted as follows:

Third Business Meeting: Report of the Credentials Committee Report of & action if necessary on Financial Affairs Committee Report of & action if necessary on Rituals Committee Report of & action if necessary on Awards Committee Report of & action if necessary on Engineering Futures Review Committee (ad hoc) Report of & action if necessary on Constitution and Bylaws Committee Report of & action if necessary on Convention Site Committee


Report of & action if necessary on Curriculum-Review Committee (ad hoc) Election of members of the Executive Council Report of & action if necessary on Resolutions Committee New Business

Convention Secretary Gomulinski reported that registration was complete with 6 Executive Council members, 4 Program

Directors, 16 District Directors, 221 Collegiate Chapters, and 27 Alumni Chapters for a total of 274 voting delegates.

Continuing the Report of the Committee on Chapter and Association Financial Affairs, J.K. Griffiths (UT B), Chair, noted that his committee had no report at this time.

Continuing the Report of the Committee on Rituals, A.D. LaDue (VA G), Chair, announced that his committee had completed its business and had no further business. The Report of the Committee on Awards was called. J.N. Zayan (MI B), Chair, thanked her vice chair and the members of the committee for their work. She stated that the committee had reviewed candidates for the J.D. Froula Most Improved Membership Award, the R.H. Nagel Most Improved Chapter Award, and R.C. Matthews Outstanding Chapter Award. The committee used the information provided by Headquarters, chapter surveys, and membership information to evaluate candidates. The committee had no further report at this time and would present the awards during the Final Business Meeting this afternoon. The Report of the Committee on Engineering Futures (ad hoc) was called. A.E. Gillen (DC G), Chair, expressed her appreciation to her vice chair and the members of the committee. The committee had reviewed the survey data from the delegates to the Convention as well as the information provided by Director of Engineering Futures Colbry. Students are still interested in the Engineering Futures Program, but changes to the format, curriculum, and content are needed. The committee recommended that the $50 scheduling fee should be waived for chapters which have not hosted a session in the past three years. The full report of the committee has been provided to Director Colbry and Secretary Gomulinski.

Continuing the Report of the Committee on Constitution and Bylaws, B.A. Hiles (AK A), Chair, reviewed the work of

the committee which included the proposal by the Petitions Committee for consistency with the existing Constitution and Bylaws, the general revision to the Constitution and Bylaws, a change to allow single-term fellowships, and updates related to the Executive Council election and nomination process. Regarding the general revision to the Constitution and Bylaws, the committee recommended the governing documents be broken into a Constitution, a Bylaws, and policy documents. The committee also provided feedback on what sections of the existing Constitution and Bylaws are included in each document. These recommendations will be provided to the Executive Director for further action following Convention.

Mr. Hiles indicated his committee was ready to resume discussion on the motion to amend Bylaw III, Section 10.03(a)

to allow Fellows to receive a partial term of funding which was introduced at the Second Business Meeting. At the request of Mr. Hiles, Chairman Hickling recognized A.F. Weaver (Sacramento AC) to speak to the motion. Mr. Weaver reported that two past proposals to modify the Fellowship Program to allow differing amounts of financial support were defeated because of vague language. The proposed changes are concrete in that Fellows would receive a stipend for a full year or half the amount for a single term of study. This could allow more fellowships to be awarded, and the language used in the proposal mirrors that used to define a partial-term scholarship. There was no further debate, and Mr. Hickling explained the proposal would require a 3/4 vote in the affirmative of the voting delegates registered at Convention. The motion passed with 256 in favor and 7 against and takes effect immediately. The wording of the motion appears below.

Bylaw X

Fellowships

SECTION 10.03. Eligibility Conditions. (a) Fellowships shall be granted to members of the Association strictly for graduate work towards an advanced degree. The graduate study shall be in a field that enables the recipient to contribute to the engineering profession as determined by the Fellowship Board. The fellow shall pursue full-time study for the full college year of the institution at which the fellowship year will be spent. The fellow shall pursue full-time study for either a full term or a partial term as specified by the fellow. A full term is defined as the full college year of the institution. A partial term is defined as one semester, one trimester, or two quarters of the institution.

(b) A fellowship shall not be awarded to a member who has previously had a Tau Beta Pi fellowship. (c) Stipends shall not be awarded to those fellows who accept other substantial financial aid as

determined by the Director of Fellowships. SECTION 10.07. Payment. The stipend shall be the same for all fellowships with stipend awarded in any


one year, but may be changed from year to year. The stipend amount shall be the same for each full-term fellowship awarded in any one year. The stipend amount for each partial-term fellowship shall be half of the stipend amount for a full-term fellowship in the same year. The Executive Director of the Association shall pay to each of the fellows the amount of the stipend in ten monthly installments on the fifteenth of each month, or in another manner approved by the Executive Council. See Bylaw III, Sec. 3.01(f)(8).

[struck words deleted; underlined words added]

Mr. Hiles stated that the committee’s final item of business related to the restructuring of the Executive Council which was approved last year. The committee reviewed the proposed changes which removes leftover language related to the election of groups, since the intent is to elect Council members individually, update the election process, change alumnus to alumni, grant the power to define the size of the Council to the Convention, and address minor wording issues. He moved, seconded by A. Nistala (MA B), to amend the Constitution to effect the changes he outlined and listed on the screen. Chairman Hickling recognized J.I. Larson (Chicago AC) to present the position of the committee. Mr. Larson reported that the 2015 Convention removed the provisions related to election of the Executive Council by slate, but not all the language was addressed. With the removal of election by slate, the election procedure also requires updates which the proposal addresses. This year we adopted standing rules to address this issue which will be unnecessary next year. B.W. Utz (Texas Gulf Coast AC) inquired as to the definition of “majority,” and Chairman Hickling replied that it would mean the majority of the number of registered voting delegates. Hearing no debate, Mr. Hickling requested that the vote be conducted by text ballot and passage required a 3/4 vote in the affirmative by the voting delegates registered at Convention. The motion passed with 256 in favor and 2 against, but final approval of the change is subject to chapter ratification. The wording of the motion appears below.

Article III Government of the Association

SECTION 2. Convention. (e) The Convention shall set the size of the Executive Council. (ef) The Convention shall elect the members of the Executive Council as hereinafter provided and fill

vacancies for the remainder of the terms of office vacated. See Const. Art III, Sec. 3 (g) and Const. Art. III, Sec. 6. [Subsections (f) through (j) will be renumbered to subsections (g) through (k), respectively.]

SECTION 3. Executive Council. (a) The Executive Council shall consist of no more than twelve voting

alumnus members who are alumni and no fewer than the minimum in accordance with state law. They shall serve without compensation for staggered terms of three years, or until their successors are chosen and qualified. The members of the Council shall be elected by the Convention. Members are limited to two consecutive three-year terms with at least one year off before being eligible to be elected again take office again. The Executive Director shall serve as a non-voting member of the Executive Council.

(b) Any chapter, collegiate or alumni, may nominate one or more alumnus members who are alumni to serve on the Executive Council. Such nomination shall be made to the Executive Council before April 1 preceding the Convention at which the election is to be held. Elections shall be held every year.

[Subsections (c) through (e) are unchanged.]

(f) The Convention shall vote only on the published groups nominated individuals, except that if only one group has been nominated the number of nominees is less than the number of vacancies, any member of the delegate to the Convention may nominate a group of alumnus eligible members who are alumni to serve on the Executive Council, provided the member delegate is certain that the nominees are willing to serve if elected.

(g) A group of candidates for Each vacant seat on the Executive Council must be elected shall be filled in turn by the favorable vote of a majority of the qualified voters registered at the Convention. A vote by the Convention will cause the nominated group All nominees who have not been elected to a seat on the Executive Council shall be candidates for the seat under consideration. Voting shall be repeated until the seat is filled. If a candidate receives a majority vote or if only one candidate remains, that candidate shall be elected to the seat. If no candidate receives a majority, the candidate receiving the least number of ballots to fewest votes shall be dropped from further consideration until a group receives a majority vote for the seat in question. The numerical results of each ballot will be made known to the Convention before any subsequent ballots are cast.

[Subsection (h) is unchanged.] [struck words deleted; underlined words added]

The Report of the Committee on Convention Site was called. A. Golkaramnay (VT B), Chair, stated that her group had reviewed proposals to host the 2018 and 2019 Conventions. The committee considered four factors during their deliberations including logistics, venue, finances, and the “X-Factor” of local sponsors, alumni chapter involvement, diversity of location, and


entertainment. She moved, seconded by J. Saikali (Greater San Diego AC), that the 2018 Convention be hosted in Denver, CO, hosted by Colorado Alpha, Beta, and Epsilon and the Front Range Alumni Chapter. T.T. Tsung (GA A) spoke on behalf of the committee and noted that Denver is well positioned to host in that it has the capacity, is near a major airport, and it is the least expensive site. The committee also considered factors like local brewery tours and possible sponsors like Lockheed, IBM, and Google. The proposal has the support of three collegiate and one alumni chapter. Hearing no further debate, Chairman Hickling called for the vote, and the motion passed. Continuing her report, Ms. Golkaramnay indicated that the committee used the same four factors to identify the best location for the 2019 Convention. The Constitution and Bylaws allow a site to be selected three years in advance, but a Convention policy had limited selection to two years in advance until this year. In order to book a site earlier and minimize costs, the committee believes selecting sites three years in advance is in the best interest of the Association. He moved, seconded by T.T. Tsung (GA A), that the 2019 Convention be hosted in Columbus, OH, hosted by Ohio Gamma, Ohio Delta, and Ohio Iota. R.L. Neumann (MI G) reported that the committee felt the hotel and convention center provided plenty of space for Tau Beta Pi, Columbus has a lively cultural center, and the convention site has a food court available. There was no further debate and Mr. Hickling called for the vote. The motion passed on a voice vote. Ms. Golkaramnay requested the Executive Council provide estimated transportation costs to and from the airport and convention location in future bid packets.

Continuing the Report of the Committee on Petitions, C.-A. K. Lahiff (FL G), Chair, presented three recommendations for discussion at future Conventions. The committee would like their report and minutes shared with future Petitions Committees, newly approved chapters be recognized and welcomed to Tau Beta Pi during a business meeting, and online programs be considered by the Curriculum Review Committee when they arise.

Ms. Lahiff asked that J.S. Zola (Portland AC) be recognized to make a presentation regarding changes to the petitioning

process. Without objection, Chairman Hickling recognized him. Mr. Zola moved, seconded by T.J. Wagener (CO A), a proposal to eliminate the Petitions Committee but still have Convention vote on granting new chapters. Mr. Hickling, hearing no objections, ruled the motion being presented as in order for debate and amendment. Mr. Zola spoke in favor of the changes indicating the new motion replaced the one discussed yesterday. He stated the proposed changes would leave the current process in place with the exception of the elimination of a Petitions Committee at Convention. Instead, petitions would be presented directly to the Convention floor for consideration by the voting delegates. E.A. Bader (OH X) spoke against the motion because the proposal does not allow the Executive Council to approve petitions and streamline the process so students from a new chapter can be initiated sooner. S.B. Pitzak (Front Range AC) had reconsidered her opposition to the changes and is in favor of the revised motion. C.T. Bradley (WI A) believes the original proposal was better in that it allows students to be initiated sooner rather than having to wait for a Convention to convene and approve the new chapter. M.D. Bennett (PA E) suggested that members from the new chapter could be initiated during the Model Initiation if they are going to graduate. D.S. Kaplan (MD A Advisor) spoke against the proposal as it no longer requires a petitioning chapter to present to Convention. J. Saikali (Greater San Diego AC) favors the motion as the authority to grant chapters remains with the delegates at Convention. J.A. Peoples (OH M) indicated his opposition to the proposed changes. K.J. Riley (OR B) stated that as engineers we look for ways to streamline processes and our current process is not efficient in that 100 percent of petitions are approved by Convention. He moved, seconded by several delegates, to limit debate to 5 minutes. On a text vote, the motion to limit debate passed with 195 in favor and 47 against. On a request, Mr. Gomulinski provided an overview of the requirements to petition for a chapter of Tau Beta Pi. J. Itskovitch (NJ A) spoke in favor of the original motion which he believes is better in that the Executive Council is better equipped to review and approve petitions and students want to grant them this authority. A.C. LoCurto (IA A) moved, seconded by A.H. Azman (TN B), the previous question. Mr. Hickling shared that the necessary 2/3 of delegates had voted in the affirmative, and the motion to close debate passed. Chairman Hickling clarified that the Convention would now be voting on the proposal to eliminate the Petitions Committee. He reported that 195 had voted in favor and 47 had voted against, and the necessary 3/4 vote of those registered at Convention to amend the Constitution had not voted in the affirmative and the motion failed. Several delegates expressed confusion about the original motion presented by the committee at the Second Business Meeting and whether or not there would be a vote on that motion. Mr. Hickling indicated that the motion just voted on was a substitution presented by a member of the committee. Unless a motion to reconsider is passed, the substitute motion has been defeated. E.A. Bader (OH X) noted that he was a member of the Petitions Committee, and his committee would introduce the committee’s motion again. B.J. Pollatz (MI I) moved, seconded by D.A. Duran (CO E), to reconsider. Mr. Gomulinski verified that both delegates had voted with the prevailing side and their motion would be in order. Hearing no further debate, Mr. Hickling called for a voice vote, and the motion to reconsider passed. On a request by G. Youssef (Alumnus Visitor), the proposed changes were placed on the screen. Mr. Hickling shared that the motion to reconsider only requires a majority vote, and the motion to eliminate the standing Petitions Committee and grant the authority to approve charters would be in order. On a request by K.L. Martin (Alumnus Visitor), Chairman Hickling noted that the changes would require ratification by the chapters. On a text vote, the motion failed with 196 voting in favor and 53 against.


On a request by K.J. Riley (OR B), Chairman Hickling recessed the meeting at 10:41 a.m. The Third Business Meeting was reconvened at 10:53 a.m. C.T. Bradley (WI A) moved, seconded by E.R. Lovell (CA AA), the proposal to eliminate the Petitions Committee and grant the authority to grant chapters to the Executive Council. She stated that this proposal will streamline the petitioning process and allow chapters to be granted without having to wait for Convention approval. In over 80 years, all petitioning societies have been granted a charter by Convention, and waiting for Convention to approve the petition is unnecessary. C.M Matthews (AR A) moved, seconded by J. Itskovitch (NJ A), to limit debate to two speakers in favor of the motion and two against the motion. The motion to limited debate passed on a voice vote. Speaking against the motion, J.N Zayan (MI B) believes as a student run organization, it was the students’ duty to decide on petitions for new chapters and that authority should not be given to the Executive Council. I.C. Dippold (OH B) supported the motion because the data show that a vote by Convention is unnecessary and this change will make the petitioning process faster. O. Serrano (OK A) moved, seconded by T.J. Manfredonia (OR G), the previous question. On a show of hands, Mr. Hickling indicated the motion failed, but on a call of Division, put the motion to a text vote. With 179 votes in favor and 66 against, the motion to close debate passed. J. Saikali (Greater San Diego AC) rose to speak and make a motion, but was ruled out of order by Chairman Hickling because debate was closed. Mr. Hickling clarified that the motion to now be voted on was the original motion proposed by the Petitions Committee on Friday which would abolish the Petitions Committee and grant the authority to grant chapters to the Executive Council. With 115 in favor and 127 against, the motion failed as it did not meet the necessary 3/4 vote in the affirmative to amend the Constitution and Bylaws. Ms. Lahiff thanked the delegates for their time and Mr. Saikali asked that information be provided to the 2017 Petitions Committee on the value of having the committee. The Report of the Committee on Curriculum Review (ad hoc) was called. R.L. Hsiong (CA Y), Vice Chair, presented the charge to the committee which included reviewing five curricula appeals from five chapters for inclusion in their chapter bylaws as eligible for membership in Tau Beta Pi. The committee was prepared to recommend approving four of the appeals. She moved, seconded by T.A. Hamilton (ID G), to approve the appeal by Ohio Eta to include the graduate program in Operations Research at the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) for eligibility and admittance into Tau Beta Pi. A.J Messer (OH H) stated that this program has been in its chapter bylaws since 1980, and it grew out of the war efforts of World Wars I and II. While the program is merged at some schools, AFIT keeps the name as a nod to historical military history. The program requires a thesis for graduation which focuses on applying design to real-world problems. It compares favorably to programs at other schools including an 85 percent overlap of the core curriculum and 100 percent% overlap with electives of Indiana Alpha’s M.S. in industrial engineering. A motion to limit debate to five minutes passed. B.W. Utz (Texas Gulf Coast AC) expressed concern about his membership status since he was an AFIT Operations Research graduate from 1978. Mr. Gomulinski indicated that the curriculum appeal process was established in 2004 to ensure all candidates for membership are studying programs that meet the Constitution’s requirements. It does not have any impact on present members of Tau Beta Pi. There was no further debate, and the motion passed on a voice vote.

Ms. Hsiong moved, seconded by K.J. Riley (CA U), to approve the appeal by Colorado Alpha to include the B.S. in computer science program at the Colorado School of Mines for eligibility and admittance into Tau Beta Pi. T.J. Wagener (CO A) shared with delegates that the program is similar to programs already accepted at UT Arlington and CalPoly, is part of the college of engineering and computational sciences, and includes an industry-sponsored open-ended capstone design course. P.D. Mahoney (ID A) stated that computer science is not engineering as engineering is based on physics and chemistry and computer science is not based on these concepts. D.A. Duran (CO E) shared that the committee showed a correlation between this program and programs already approved by Convention. On a question by T.T. Tsung (GA A), Mr. Hickling replied that Colorado Alpha does not have a computer engineering program. C.C. Veer (SD A Alt.) expressed her opposition to the motion because the program is software-based, not hardware-based. C.K. Tran (CA G) believes computer science is similar to software engineering which is an eligible program. Students develop software that is used to engage people in the physical world and students are well suited to the challenge. A point of information related to the program’s ethics curriculum was ruled out of order. B.J. Pollatz (MI I) mentioned that Tau Beta Pi has already accepted computer science programs and many capstone design courses include ethics in the program. He moved to limit debate to five minutes. Seeing no further debate, Mr. Hickling asked if the body would instead rather close debate, and A.C. LoCurto (IA A) moved, seconded by G.D. Baldwin (WY A), the previous question. The previous question passed on a voice vote. The motion to approve the appeal passed on a voice vote.

Ms. Hsiong moved, seconded by R.L. Neumann (MI G), to approve the appeal by New York Alpha to include the B.S. in

computer science program at Columbia University for eligibility and admittance into Tau Beta Pi for students on tracks with a senior design course. The committee felt the computer science program had significant overlap with the school’s computer engineering program, a team project is required for all students in the program, and students must be enrolled in one of the tracks requiring a capstone design course in order to be eligible. A motion to limit debate to five minutes passed. K.A. Lady (Ann Arbor Area AC) inquired if we could approve tracks within a program, and Mr. Hickling stated the motion before the assembly would accomplish that. K.J. Riley (OR B) moved, seconded by J.S. Schumacher (NY K), the previous question which passed on a show of hands. The motion to approve the program passed on a text vote of 190 in


favor and 59 against. Ms. Hsiong moved, seconded by L.J. Rodriguez (MI H), to approve the appeal by Illinois Gamma to include the B.S. in

applied mathematics program at Northwestern University for eligibility and admittance into Tau Beta Pi. F.L. Carvalho (FL A) spoke on behalf of the committee and indicated there is a 70 percent overlap with other ABET accredited engineering programs at Northwestern, the program is housed within the school’s college of engineering, and all engineering students take the same math and sciences courses. In addition, the 22 of the 27 courses in Arizona Alpha’s program overlap those at Illinois Gamma, and the program requires two design courses. On a point of information from A.P. George (PA D), J.L. Ding (IL G) shared that graduates work in industry at companies like Boeing and Ford as engineers. Mr. Ding stated that the program emphasizes real-world projects. Mr. Ding moved, seconded by H.J. Lu (KY B) the previous question. The motion to close debate passed on a voice vote. The motion to approve the program passed on a show of wristbands.

Ms. Hsiong completed her report by indicating the committee had no action to take on the appeal by Oregon Beta.

A delegate noted that the agenda did not include time for New Business, and Mr. Hickling ruled without objection, that New Business would be added after the Report of the Committee on Resolutions. Chairman Hickling called the six Executive Council candidates to come to the front of the room. He indicated that delegates could now ask questions of the candidates and no set time limit existed, but we needed to conclude the business on time. Delegates asked questions including how many Conventions each candidate had attended, what they would do to encourage minorities to join Tau Beta Pi, what have they contributed to the Association recently, what are their favorite aspects about Tau Beta Pi and what they would improve, how they would prioritize increasing diversity in the engineering colleges, what they would do to increase corporate recruiting at Convention, and what should be done to improve branding and visibility. Each candidate was given time to answer each question posed by the delegates. At the conclusion of the question and answer session, Secretary Gomulinski explained the election process to the delegates. Each position would be considered separately, and votes would be cast until a candidate received a majority vote. The candidate receiving the lowest number of votes would be dropped from subsequent ballots for that position. With 274 registered voting delegates, 138 votes would be needed to elect a candidate. After a candidate is elected to a position, all remaining candidates would be eligible to be elected for subsequent positions. He encouraged delegates to utilize the yellow election sheets to track the process. Voting would be done by text ballot and delegates without text capabilities using paper ballots. For the first position, all six candidates were eligible for election. On the first ballot 263 votes were cast with 28 for LeVern Faidley, 76 for Wayne Paugh, 23 for Russell Pierce, 52 for George Youssef, 80 for Mennatoallah Youssef, and 4 for Jeffrey Zola. Jeffrey Zola was dropped from consideration for first position. On the second ballot, 257 votes were cast with 24 for LeVern Faidley, 65 for Wayne Paugh, 19 for Russell Pierce, 47 for George Youssef, and 102 for Mennatoallah Youssef. Russell Pierce was dropped from consideration for the first position. On the third ballot, 274 ballots were cast with 26 for LeVern Faidley, 53 for Wayne Paugh, 43 for George Youssef, and 152 votes for Mennatoallah Youssef. Mennatoallah Youssef was therefore elected to serve the 2017-19 term.

For the second position, the remaining five candidates were eligible for election. On the first ballot 274 votes were cast with 42 for LeVern Faidley, 113 for Wayne Paugh, 18 for Russell Pierce, 94 for George Youssef, and 7 for Jeffrey Zola. Jeffrey Zola was dropped from consideration for second position. On the second ballot, 271 votes were cast with 41 for LeVern Faidley, 140 for Wayne Paugh, 15 for Russell Pierce, and 75 for George Youssef. Wayne Paugh was therefore elected to serve the 2017-19 term. Without objection, Mr. Hickling extended the meeting by an additional 10 minutes. Jeffrey Zola requested that his name be dropped from consideration for the third position.

For the third position, the remaining three candidates were eligible for election. On the first ballot 269 votes were cast with 68 for LeVern Faidley, 38 for Russell Pierce, and 165 for George Youssef. George Youssef was therefore elected to serve the 2017-19 term. The three Executive Councillors Elect were brought to the front of the room and received a standing ovation.

The Report of the Committee on Resolutions was called. T. Kiryutina (MD B), Chair, stated that her committee was

charged with four items of business including preparing the resolutions for Convention, preparing recognition materials for members of the Association, recommending action on changes to the Articles of Incorporation, and recommending action on a resolution regarding the transition from the previous to the current structure of the Executive Council. Regarding the transition plan for the Executive Council, her committee had reviewed the changes made by the 2015 Convention which did


not include a transition plan from the previous structure to the new structure. She presented several slides indicating the changes to the terms of the current Executive Council members and the wording of the motion. She moved, seconded by L.J. Rodriguez (MI H), to adopt a resolution providing for the transition to the current Executive Council structure. There was no debate and the motion passed on a voice vote. The wording of the motion appears below.

Whereas, the 2015 Tau Beta Pi Convention passed a package of amendments ratified by the chapters of

the Association to restructure the Executive Council; Whereas, the 2015 Tau Beta Pi Convention did not include provisions to manage the transition from the

previous structure to the current structure of the Executive Council; Whereas, the 2015 Tau Beta Pi Committee on Constitution and Bylaws expressed its desire and intent to

move to the current structure as soon as feasible; and Whereas, the existing members of the Executive Council were elected on November 2, 2013, to serve on

the Executive Council from the close of the 2014 Convention until the close of the 2018 Convention; Resolved, That the 2016 Convention elect three additional members to the Executive Council to serve the

2017-19 terms; Resolved, That the existing members of the Executive Council are eligible for election for a three-year

term in 2017 or 2018 before taking a year off to adhere to the provisions of Constitution Article IV, Section 3(a);

Resolved, That the current terms of Councillors Norman Pih and Alan J. Passman be adjusted to end on December 31, 2017;

Resolved, That the current terms of Councillors Joseph P. Blackford, Susan L.R. Holl, and George J. Morales be adjusted to end on December 31, 2018;

Continuing her report, Ms. Kiryutina stated that Tau Beta Pi’s current Articles of Incorporation do not specify a mechanism

for amendment. The Internal Revenue Service has requested that the articles be amended to meet the current requirements for a 501(C)(3) organization. In addition, the Association’s attorney has identified additional language that should be updated. In keeping with past precedent, the Executive Council has requested the approval of Convention before amending the articles to meet the IRS requirements, update the language, and meet any other federal or state requirements. She presented slides summarizing the situation and the proposed wording of the motion. She moved, seconded by J.C. Freeman (NC D), to adopt a resolution authorizing the Executive Council to amend the Articles of Incorporation. There was no debate and the motion passed on a voice vote. The wording of the motion appears below.

Whereas, the Internal Revenue Service requires that 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations limit the scope of

their non-profit activities in their governing document; Whereas, the Articles of Incorporation have not been updated since 1971; and Whereas, the legal requirements for a non-profit organization have changed since Tau Beta Pi’s Articles

of Incorporation were filed in 1947; Resolved, that the 2016 Convention authorize the Executive Council to amend the Articles of Amendment

to meet any Federal, State, and Internal Revenue Service requirements necessary to maintain compliance as 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

The Resolutions Committee then presented a humorous skit satirizing events of Convention including airport waits, shuttle frequency and the number of people in the shuttles, and the abundance of palm trees at the hotel. They also poked fun of the current election cycles and the candidates running for office. Ms. Kiryutina noted she would present her final report at the Final Business Meeting.

Chairman Hickling reported that the allotted meeting time had elapsed and ruled, without objection, that New Business would be moved to the Final Business Meeting. The Third Business Meeting was adjourned at 1:10 p.m.

******************** The Convention group photograph was taken by C.J. Creveling, UT B ’13, at 1:20 p.m. outside the Town and Country Convention Center. The picture is available on the website. The Alumni and Chapter Awards Banquet was held in the Golden Pacific Ballroom of the Town and Country Convention Center at 1:30 p.m. Neal T. Bussett (D16 Dir.) served as master of ceremonies. Secretary Morales introduced the Tau Beta Pi historical video. A total of 430 people were served a chicken dish and lemon tart for dessert, sponsored for the voting delegates by GEICO. Near the end of the Final Business Meeting, Murray E. Rudin, J.D., NY K ’83, gave a farewell address. He congratulated the delegates on a successful Convention and encouraged them to explore the myriad of career paths in front of them. He


recommended they consider what differentiates them from others and highlight these differences. He also suggested working to build their professional networks with their fellow Tau Bates. Rick Olsen, Ph.D., thanked the delegates for coming to San Diego on behalf of the hosting chapters. He encouraged the delegates to do good things for people at their schools and in their communities. Vice President Norman Pih expressed his appreciation to the delegates for their hard work, recognized the staff at the hotel, and led the Executive Council, Headquarters staff, and members in attendance in a sing-along of Put a Little Love in your Heart from the closing credits of the movie Scrooged. The members of the Council then recognized the Headquarters staff for their hard work on behalf of the Association.

********************

FINAL BUSINESS MEETING Saturday, October 8, Town and Country Convention Center, San Diego, CA

Chairman Hickling took charge of the Final Business Meeting on the banquet program in the Golden Pacific Ballroom at

2:50 p.m. Mr. Hickling called for items of New Business.

C.A.-K. Lahiff (FL G) expressed the importance of human rights especially as the Association updates its Constitution and Bylaws and considers changes to the ritual next year. D.S. Kaplan (MD A Adv.) believes the Executive Council election process went well this year but encourages the Association consider using an instant runoff system to streamline the process. C.C. Veer (SD A Alt.) encouraged the Association to conduct a website design competition to update the Tau Beta Pi website. A.N. Vo (VA E) would like to see everyone at the 2017 Convention have easy access to wi-fi. G.R. Duke II (AL D) recommended the election process be modified in the future to have candidates step out of the room during the voting process. B.J. Pollatz (MI I) recommended that power be provided for laptops during Convention meetings. P.S. Mahal (Alumnus Visitor) would like to see duck jokes added back to Convention. J.L. Ding (IL G) recommended that members appealing a program not be assigned to the Curriculum Review Committee. J.S. Zola (Portland AC) would like to see a mechanism implemented to allow Executive Council candidates who are voting delegates to vote if they are excused during the Executive Council voting process. J. Shi (CA B) encouraged that motions and amendments be made electronically so delegates are able to see them easily. M.J. Hand III (D7 Dir.) recommended that the size of committees be increased at the 2017 Convention.

Treasurer Alan J. Passman recognized the 2016 Tau Beta Pi Laureates in attendance: Nathan J. Ferraro, OK A ’16, Angadbir S. Sabherwal, IA A ’16, and Kiersten K. Wang, FL A ’16. He spoke of their outstanding achievements and presented them with Laureate plaques and cash awards of $2,500.

President Blackford announced the Distinguished Alumnus Awards: N. Jan Davis, Ph.D., P.E., AL A ’77, vice president and general manager of Jacobs Engineering and a former NASA astronaut; Eugene M. DeLoatch, Ph.D., DC A ’59, founding dean of the Morgan State University School of Engineering; and Michael D. Griffin, Ph.D., MD B ’77, chairman and CEO of the Schafer Corporation, and former administrator of NASA. A $2,000 scholarship was given in each alumnus member’s name and will be awarded to a Tau Beta Pi student for the 2016-17 academic year. Dr. DeLoatch was present at the banquet and received his award.

Continuing the Report of the Committee on Awards, J.N. Zayan (MI B), introduced Secretary-Treasurer Emeritus Froula

who presented the 2016 J.D. Froula Most Improved Membership Award to North Carolina Gamma. Honorable mentions were presented to California Upsilon and North Dakota Alpha.

Ms. Zayan presented the 2016 R.H. Nagel Most Improved Chapter Award to Wisconsin Alpha, for its sustained

improvement, increase in organization and projects, and work to bring in industry speakers. An honorable mention was presented to Maryland Delta and Vermont Beta.


Ms. Zayan spoke of the criteria for the Outstanding Chapter Award and presented an honorable mention to Alabama

Epsilon. She presented the 2016 R.C. Matthews Outstanding Chapter Award to District of Columbia Alpha at Howard University. They helped clean a water system in Haiti, had strong member involvement and attendance at events, and conducted a number of unique collaborative events on campus and in their community.

Continuing the Report of the Committee on Resolutions, T. Kiryutina (MD B), Chair, read the following:

Resolutions of the 2016 Convention

On behalf of the entire Resolutions Committee, I would like to present our final report. These

resolutions will primarily recognize those who work behind the scenes in conducting the daily business of the Association and the Convention. I promise not to end with any ridiculous motions this afternoon. First and foremost, we’d like to thank everyone for their attendance and hard work this weekend. It is only because of your continued efforts that Tau Beta Pi remains the premier engineering honor society.

Of course, we would like to thank the host chapters, California Xi, Psi, Alpha Epsilon, and the Greater San

Diego Alumni Chapter for all their hard work in taking care of the details for this weekend. A few individuals deserve special recognition: the chapter presidents and chief advisors. As Curt said last night, this will be the first time that you will hear your name pronounced correctly!

From CA Xi: Sean Bennett & Bruce Westermo From CA Psi: Rachel Hsiong & Geoffrey Voelker From CA Alpha Epsilon: Sarah Kapple & Kathleen Kramer And president of the Greater San Diego Alumni Chapter: Sarah Child We would like to thank this year’s Arrangements Chair, Arianna Lasche, who helped these past few days

run smoothly. We acknowledge that we owe much of Tau Beta Pi’s success to the financial support of our alumni and

corporate sponsors. We appreciate the 251 companies which generously supported our Fellowship Program and the 9,962 Tau Beta Pi alumni who contributed to programs and the provided overall support of the Association this past year. Please join me in extending our heartfelt thanks to: GEICO, Autodesk, Paradigm Corporation, PPI, University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering, the U.S. Navy, and all of our other generous sponsors. Let’s give them a well-deserved Tau Beta Pi round of applause.

Even within such an elite organization, there are those who have distinguished themselves above and

beyond. The 24 Tau Beta Pi Fellows and 210 Tau Beta Pi Scholars were introduced in the Summer and Fall issues of The Bent. Thank you to Tau Beta Pi’s Director of Fellowships, Sally Steadman, and members of her Fellowship Board Charles Caldwell, Solange Dao, Margaret Darrow, and Robert Efimba for their hard work in awarding scholarships and fellowships to deserving members of the organization.

Thank you to our Trust Advisory Committee, Rodger Smith, James Johnson Jr., and Harry Lange, who

manage the Association’s investments. I am pleased to announce that alumni financial and physical support is still strong. Thank you for your

continued participation in our organization and providing a wealth of knowledge and wisdom as District Directors, as Engineering Futures Facilitators, as advisors, and as members of the Executive Council.

Our heartfelt thanks goes out to the Engineering Futures Director, Katy Colbry, and the myriad of

volunteer instructors in the program, for their hard work in stimulating development of the future of our beloved profession.

In addition to the impressive commitment of our local leaders, numerous national figures coordinate all

the individual efforts that result in a single, vibrant society. Executive Director Curtis Gomulinski has the distinct pleasure of making everyone happy on a daily basis. Assistant Secretary-Treasurer Roger Hawks worked diligently to ensure the smooth operation of another Convention. Without him and the tireless work of Rebecca Davis and Sherry King, many of us may not have made it here, not to mention know where to be or when to arrive. Our Director of Alumni Affairs, Tricia Gomulinski, has her hands full with developing the alumni relations, and we deeply appreciate her efforts.


Welcome to the newly-appointed Director of District Programs, Kelly Hammar, who has her hands full, but we look forward to enhancements in the District Program. We also want to thank our District Directors who help shepherd us through the intricacies of the initiation process.

As a historic society, we cherish the tradition of our ritual and thank Edward D’Avignon, Director of

Rituals, for providing the foundation of our traditions for years to come. Congratulations to the chapters celebrating centennial anniversaries this year: Pennsylvania Gamma and Texas Alpha.

Finally, we shouldn’t forget of all the collegiate and alumni chapter leaders who directed their chapters

effectively in 2015 through 2016, truly maintaining and improving the visibility and public image of the Association and its members.

Sincere congratulations to our Laureates―Nathan Ferraro, Angadbir Sabherwal, and Kiersten Wang;

our Outstanding Advisor Sandra Pitzak, our Distinguished Alumni―Jan Davis, Eugene DeLoatch, and Michael Griffin; and our McDonald Mentor Antonette Logar.

In looking around this very room, and looking over its impressive list of names, I am honored that I have

the opportunity to stand among such engineering giants. Thank you for your time this afternoon and this weekend. We look forward to seeing you at the 2017 Convention in Dearborn, hosted by the Michigan Gamma Chapter and the Ann Arbor Area Alumni Chapter.

Let’s have one more round of applause for those who have distinguished themselves this year.

Several delegates rose to a point of personal privilege. Chairman Hickling recognized them and they inquired if anyone had a napkin. In the spirit of the occasion, the entire banquet group produced a long, complex ring of tied dinner napkins. The entire banquet group joined Mr. Froula in the Tau Beta Pi Yell. Chairman Hickling thanked Parliamentarian Abellada and Secretary Gomulinski and praised the delegates for their skills, collaboration, and cooperation. On the motion of R.E Hawks (Assistant Secretary-Treasurer), seconded by M.J. Hand III (D7 Dir.), Chairman Hickling declared the Convention adjourned sine die at 4:25 p.m.

Submitted by, Approved by, Curtis D. Gomulinski Ronald M. Hickling Convention Secretary Convention Chair

minutes of the 111th convention the tau … tyler m. graveline ca magdalena l. etimani md lucas r....

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