It used to be that students wanting to work off campus from their personal computer and take advantage of specialized software for a project were out of luck. This is no longer the case for engineering students using Citrix XenApp. Using their own devise (computer, tablet, even smart phone) students can now access the applications they would normally find in engineering computer labs.

The software program allows engineering students to work on projects from the comfort of their own home, or anywhere that has wifi for that matter. It eliminates the need for long hours in computer labs and decreases unnecessary time on campus.

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Kathryn Higley

Nuclear energy has grown in popularity over the years due to its low-carbon footprint, reliable energy supply, and upstanding safety reports. Yet public perception of the energy source got a little shaky after the March 2011 earthquake in Japan damaged a nuclear power station, resulting in a leak of radioactive nucleotides onto the shore and into the ocean. As the world was second-guessing nuclear power, victims, the media, and researchers alike turned to an institution on the forefront of researching the increased dependability and safety of nuclear power: Oregon State University.

Read the whole story by Kathryn Higley in Terra.

–Chelsi Rayford

 

 

By Rachel Robertson

Intel Learning Company students

Even in a sluggish economy, industries are still struggling to recruit computer science graduates. So, keeping students interested throughout their education is a common goal for both industry and educators.

Engaging the best talent as freshman is the aim of the Intel Learning Company (ILC), a joint project by the Intel Corporation and OSU’s School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS). Supervised by faculty members Carlos Jensen and Kevin McGrath, the students work in teams on real projects to gain valuable work-ready skills in programming, teamwork and leadership.

“We’re really emphasizing experiential learning and challenging students beyond what they can do right now,” said Terri Fiez, head of EECS.

Armed with their new skills, ILC students found summer work programming, teaching, performing research and community outreach. Students credited the ILC with helping to secure opportunities and be successful in their positions. They applied their lessons in networking, communication skills, problems solving, and workflow, and found having a broader range of experiences with programming languages made them more employable.

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With flat screen TVs being a multi-billion dollar industry, John Wager, Oregon State professor of electrical and computer engineering, was headed in the right direction when he developed specialized transistor to make clear display screens a reality. With the transistors now being licensed by some big names, the next step is how to manufacture these fancy TVs and create less waste in the process. View the whole story here.

–Chelsi Rayford