|
|
Rodman CouncilFrom Rodman Scholars ProgramThe Rodman Council is the governing body of the Rodman Scholars Program. Currently comprised of both students and faculty members, it plans and executes all Rodman functions, both academic and social. Ongoing and Upcoming ProjectsRodman First-Year Advising Program EnhancementTraditionally, the Rodman first year advising experience ramps up around the start of first year and promptly cools down, failing to address student needs during important down-the-road turning points like registration for second semester classes and major selection. Rodman Council, in an effort spearheaded by Rodman Advising Chair Michael Booth, seeks to expand the advising program to encompass the entire first year experience. Additional networking activities (e.g. ropes course trip) are in the planning stages and will be announced as they are solidified. Rodman Career Fair PresentationsThe Fall 2008 Engineering Career Fair is currently scheduled for September 16th-18th. The Rodman Scholars Program has begun hosting a concurrent speaker series where employers make brief presentations to current undergraduate students, followed by chances for students and employers to interact on a one-on-one basis afterwards. If your company might be interested in this opportunity, please contact our Networking Chair, who will be organizing the event. Annual Rodman vs. Echols Capture the Flag ChallengeThe Rodman Scholars, after opening up an early 2-0 lead against the Echols Scholars in the 2008 Annual Rodman vs. Echols Capture the Flag Challenge, were unable to hold off the late surge of the Echols Scholars, and the event ended with a 2-2 tie between the programs. An official tiebreaker has yet to be scheduled. The Rodman Networking Site rOdysseyOur program is working on a new networking site called rOdyssey, where current students and alumni can interact to exchange career advice, job opportunities, resumes, or pretty much any kind of information in a semi-professional setting. The site is currently in development, but please create your student profile so that you can begin networking with other students, alumni, and employers as soon as possible. Rodman SeminarsEvery semester, Rodman Council attempts to organize 3-4 Rodman Seminars (RodSems). There is some debate as to the purpose of these seminars, but Council generally shoots for a RodSem that is fun, interesting, and (if at all possible) somewhat relevant to engineering. We're always looking for ideas, so if you have any suggestions, please email our RodSem Coordinator to put in your two cents. Rodman Council meeting attendanceRodman Council, like any extracurricular activity, is more fun when everyone shows up. There is pizza and soda at every meeting, and they generally last for approximately an hour, unless there is not very much to discuss. Meetings are open to ALL Rodmans. The goal is to completely fill the Rodman Room conference table and have people lining the seats along the wall. If you can't make the meetings, be sure to check the minutes for details regarding what we talked about. Rodman HikesHiking and rock climbing are a cheap, fun way to have large groups of Rodmans get to know each other. Watch your email for notification about upcoming hikes, bikes, or other impromptu outdoor activities. Rodman Student CouncilRodman Student Council general body meetings will be held biweekly this semester in the Rodman Room at 8:00 pm. Pizza or some other dinner food item will be served at every general body meeting. Check the Rodman Calendar for specific dates, as well as for dates of other planned Rodman Functions. Minutes from all of the general body meetings are posted here. Co-Presidents: Christopher Belyea and Ian CzekalaThese two have a lot planned for the upcoming year, including finishing the constitution, creating a packet of programs to market to potential donors, and streamlining the operation of the Rodman Council into an efficient, sustainable entity. Treasurer: Blair StocksSomeone has to make sure that Rodman Council can pay for all of its crazy schemes. Blair will be monitoring the budget, telling the officers when they need to curb spending. Blair (formerly a social chair) is also the person to thank for the pizza at all of the meetings. Secretary: Hallett ConnorBeginning his second term as secretary, Hallett will be keeping track of anything that is said or done in the Rodman Room. The Rodman Council is looking to expand its membership to as many of the Rodman Scholars as possible, and keeping so many students informed will be a huge undertaking. Hallett will also be scheduling the meetings, taking attendance, and keeping the information on the Rodman Council page up to date. Networking Chair: Bobby ArthurAlso on his second term, Bobby will be working with prospective, current, and former Rodmans to build an interactive community. This year, he will be overseeing the development of the next newsletter and finalizing the official Rodman logo. Academic Chair: Luke WildfireWith priority registration always a hot button issue, Rodmans need an advocate for their academic privileges. In addition to being a spokesman for high profile academic issues, Luke will also be in charge of organizing the Rodman Seminars, from idea conception to teacher selection and putting the course on the Course Offering Directory. Finally, Luke will also be working with various Arts and Sciences departments to allow engineers to register for various liberal arts courses. Social and Community Service Chairs: Blake Thomas and Frankie WolfContinuing where they left off last year, Blake and Frankie will be spearheading our social endeavors and community outreach efforts. They already have a few big things planned, including the first annual Rodman Fall Semformal. Blake will also give the council meetings character. Advising Chair: Michael BoothThe first to fill a newly re-imagined position, Michael will be pairing up Rodman first years with upperclassmen who will answer questions and attempt to guide our new students through their Rodman experience. Webmaster: Ian DaveyIan manages the Rodmans' newly re-established online presence. From the email system to the website to even Wikipedia articles, he makes sure that the program can communicate both internally and with the outside world. Rodman ESTUD Representative: Beth MartinThe Rodman Scholars, although we have a separate budget, still operate within the engineering school. Beth is currently the Vice President of Engineering Student Council (ESTUD) and will be attending Rodman Council meetings and the Engineering Student Council meetings to highlight potential areas of collaboration. Research Coordinator: Will JacobsFilling a brand new position, Will is currently developing a system that will recognize research. Many ideas are currently on the table, including research grants for Rodmans similar to the Harrison grant system, a research symposium for the engineering school as a whole, and a fair for high school students to showcase research. RodSem Coordinator: Chris HigbyWhile within the realm of the Academic Chair, planning and managing RodSems alone can be very challenging. Chris will form a committee that involves everyone with a cool RodSem idea and plan each RodSem from there. Past Presidents: Christina Stamper and Matt FiferAfter two years on Rodman Council, Matt and Christina will still play an active role in the Rodman program, introducing new ideas and helping coordinate various alumni-related activities. Fourth-Year Class Representative: Chris HeywoodFormerly the treasurer, Chris will return for the 2008-2009 academic year as the representative for his class. His primary task will be to encourage fourth-year involvement in Rodman activities. Third-Year Class Representative: Matt RippeMatt Rippe, a prominent member of the APO community service fraternity, will be representing the third-years for the coming academic year. Second-Year Class Representative: Will WhittecarWill is the representative of the class of 2011. First-Year Class Representatives: Kelly Anderson, Jarel Cohen, Manya Garg, and Roy HannaThese are the four representatives from one of the largest Rodman classes in program history. Rodman Advisory CommitteeThe Rodman Advisory Committee is comprised of faculty and student representatives from various engineering departments and disciplines. They will be working with the Rodman Student Council to reinvigorate the program. Program Director: Dana ElzeyDana Elzey is a professor in the Material Sciences department, and was named the director of the Rodman Scholars program a couple of years ago. In that time, the program has grown by leaps and bounds, as the students in his charge began to assume the same energy for the program that he showed on a daily basis. Elzey has given the students a great deal of free reign over the direction of the program, providing assistance where necessary. The open structure of Rodman Student Council, paired with Elzey's willingness and eagerness to lift the program from the constraints of lazy tradition, has really turned the program around. Alumni and Prospectives Contact: George Cahen, Jr.While the program is working to expand its internal network, few endeavors are as important as keeping in touch with alumni and recruiting new students. Professor Cahen coordinates student visits to local high schools and reunions for former Rodmans. Committee MembersMary Beck, Applied Mathematics Other Associated FacultyRodman Administrative Assistant: Janina DeJesusTo access money, information about current or former Rodmans, or even to call high profile speakers and ask them to come to U.Va, Rodman Student Council needs the help of an experienced, dedicated administrative assistant. Janina just joined our program at the end of the Spring semester of 2007, and has already been more than willing to help and will be invaluable when Rodman Council gets rolling again. See Also |
