We have reached the point in the semester when students start to show signs of stress.  Classes are
winding up and everything comes due at the same time: papers, projects and tests rattle even the most
organized student. It happens every semester.  Most people live through the stress of being a student and
graduate.

Life is fraught with situations that cause stress.  Just listening to the news this week has been
stressful.  I found myself wondering what pushes someone to commit the type of mayhem that occurred in
Blacksburg, Virginia.  I asked my husband Paul,  a psychologist, to comment,  and more importantly,  to
talk about what students should know about stress.  He has written more about the Virgina Tech killings
at his blog, http://everydaypsychology.blogspot.com,
and when you finish this article,  you should ask yourself the questions he has posted under the title
“The Sense of Coherence.”  It’s a measure of your sense of well-being.

Paul’s comments follow:

As details about the Virginia Tech shooter emerge, we are learning that this was not a case in which
someone was "stressed out," upset or having a bad day.  It is not a case of someone who was "pushed" over
the edge and "couldn’t take it" anymore.  Instead, what we are learning is that the killer was a
deeply disturbed and chronically troubled individual whose emotional life was punctuated by morbid rage
and twisted anger.  

A disturbance of this intensity is absolutely not something that could just happen to any of us.  But it
does give us reason to pause and to think about the stress in our lives.  It is a moment in time when we
should all reflect on the pressures we face and how well we are doing in maintaining a sense of
well-being.  

Psychological stress is not one thing.  It involves four factors.  

First, it involves the way our bodies react to events and prepare to respond or take action.  When your
body is in a constant state of activation, without adequate time for rest and recovery,  physical and
psychological harm can result.

Stress is also defined in terms of the events we are reacting to.  Sometimes it is a big life change
event (like losing a job or failing a class).  Stress can also develop from life’s "daily hassles"
- like finding a parking space or dropping your cell phone and finding it broken.

Although events matter, our perception of events is also critical.  Maybe it was a good thing you lost
that job you actually hated.  Rather than a setback, it might be an opportunity.  The failed class? 
Perhaps the failure taught you something you might never have otherwise realized.  Stuck in the grocery
line?  A great chance to relax and read the tabloids.  Can’t find parking?  Maybe that spared you
from the first ten minutes of a dreadful lecture.  What you view as a hardship might be perceived by
another as a challenge to be faced.  We thrive on challenges and we find events to be stressful depending
on how we interpret them.

Finally, the adaptive skills and the coping resources we bring to bear in any situation mediate stress. 
One such skill is the ability to recognize when we need the help of others.

Given this formulation, there are four things you can do to combat stress:  

1.  Change the way your body is reacting.  Get some exercise, eat right, get more sleep, and learn some
relaxation techniques.

2.  Change the events in your life.  Do that assignment early, rather than at the last minute.  Quit the
job that is killing you.  Take the parking space at the edge of campus, and then enjoy the walk.  

3.  Change your perceptions.  Think about it again:  was it a setback or an opportunity, a burden or a
challenge, a loss or a relief?  The bad thing is that your computer died.  The good part is that you can
now justify getting that new one.  

4.  Enhance your coping skills.  In essence, that is what you are doing in school, learning how to
perform new tasks and expanding your skill and knowledge base.  You might also need to improve your
social skills or your time management abilities, or perhaps your language or your writing skills.  And
you may need to learn when to ask for help.  Talk to the professor if you are failing a class.  Talk to
Cici if your work life is miserable.  And if you are feeling stressed or depressed or upset, go to the
Health Center and speak to a counselor.  Psychological Counseling Center (278-6416) offers free
one-on-one therapy to registered students. Therapy is a relief.  You don’t need to be ill or
disturbed.  Most therapy is short-term and for help with the ordinary problems of life and the ordinary
difficulties of adjustment.  Talking helps. 

Is stress going to do you in?  That depends on your Sense of Coherence.  There are six questions you
should answer and understand:  

http://everydaypsychology.blogspot.com/2007/04/sense-of-coherence.html

Andy Lyons, Director of Manufacturing and and part owner of  Schilling Robotics in Davis, will speak on
Thursday, April 19th in RVR 1002 at 2:00.  Andy, BSMET - CSUS  1988, joined the company as a volunteer
intern when there were just a hand full of engineers.  He will discuss the history of the company, what
Schilling Robotics does, and how the company has progressed to where they are today, 20 + years later.  


Andy will also discuss the engineering and computer science career paths and how to get a job with
Shilling Robotics after graduation.



http://www.schilling.com

The Sacramento State chapter of “Engineers Without Borders” went to Panama over the spring break to
begin work on a project to provide irrigation water to a small village during the dry season.

“The students had a unique opportunity to see an infrastructure project from the beginning to the
end,” says Professor Ed Dammel, who accompanied the four civil engineering and one mechanical
engineering students. 

Professor Saad Merayyan, the campus advisor for Engineers Without Borders projects, assisted the students
in applying for the project through the Engineers Without Borders website. With the help of Dean Emir
Macari and the industrial partners participating in the Civil Engineering Department’s “Evening with
the Industry” event, Merayyan was able to secure funding for the group’s trip to Panama.

“Our students have a unique global perspective that many at other campuses don’t,” says Merayyan.
“They’ve seen more of the world, many are bilingual, and they communicate and interact well with
other cultures.”

The project was the first of two to three assessment trips to the village of Guabas Arribas in the Anton
district of the Cocle Province, west of the Panama Canal. Implementation trips will follow, and a
post-assessment visit will conclude the expeditions to the village.

When the team arrived in Panama, they had a few surprises. They thought they would be working with
relatively flat ground fields but instead found very hilly land with poor soil quality. The village
population of 100 residences was also spread out over 8 kilometers. “Getting water to each of the farm
plots was going to be more challenging than we thought,” Dammel says.

The team, which returned from Panama on March 31, is currently evaluating a pump design that utilizes
solar power and is attempting another assessment trip in June. Although some of the students will have
graduated by then, others will remain on the team and brief students who will be new to the
project.

“The idea behind this is to improve lives in the developing world,” says Dammel. “Our students and
faculty are making a real difference.”


For more information on Engineers Without Borders, contact Merayyan at merayyan@ecs.csus.edu or chapter
president Alexander Daniel at csus.ewb.president@gmail.com. For more information about the Panama
project, contact Dammel at dammele@ecs.csus.edu. 

(This article was reprinted in part with permission from the CSUS Bulletin)

The annual President’s Award lecture and award ceremony will be in the Alumni Center at 4 p.m. on
Monday, April 23. Professor Porbaha’s lecture is titled “Innovative Technologies to Accelerate
Geoconstruction.” A reception will immediately follow the lecture, and the community is invited to
attend. 

The President’s Award for Research and Creative Activity was established in 1989 and is given each year
to recognize extraordinary research and creative activity over the past five years by a Sacramento State
faculty member. Nominees for the award must be in their first ten years of service at Sacramento State.
Porbaha is the eighteenth recipient of this award.

Innovative technologies for ground modification and earthquake mitigation have been developed overseas
for new construction or reconstruction of aging civil infrastructure systems. These technologies should
be further developed and transferred for use in the United States, according to Civil Engineering
professor Ali Porbaha. Porbaha is the 2006-07 recipient of the President’s Award for Research and
Creative Activity.

“California, like Japan, is a seismic-prone area,” says Porbaha. “That, coupled with the soft soil
deposits, can lead to significant ground instability. Improving the quality of the ground is
time-consuming. However, some innovative techniques that have been used in Japan and Europe to improve
the quality of the soil can also be applied here in California.” 

Porbaha studied these innovative technologies through a U.S.-Japanese research exchange as a Fellow of
the Science and Technology Agency of the Japanese National Laboratory. Also, as a twelve-member of a
technology scanning tour to Europe, Porbaha visited Sweden, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, and Italy
to identify innovative technologies that accelerate construction, a major focus of the Federal Highway
Administration.

And those techniques can be used to improve the soil on construction sites. “Time is money and is of
the essence on construction projects,” says Porbaha, “so to ensure timely delivery, project owners
have begun to seek non-conventional technologies that can accelerate construction on California’s
deteriorating infrastructure system.” 

Land aging and traffic are significant factors in California’s weakening infrastructure. “In
response, the industry is very interested in developing innovative solutions to expedite the construction
while ensuring a high level of safety and reliability,” he says. 

Porbaha, in collaboration with Civil Engineering professor Eric Matsumoto, also recently received funding
from the National Science Foundation to begin the development of a seismic simulation laboratory to
promote earthquake engineering research and education. 


For more information, call 278-7565 or visit www.csus.edu/research.

(This article was reprinted in part with permission from the CSUS Bulletin)

Just got the following from Alum Has Chaudhuri:

Cici,

Just want to give you a heads up like every time. I have opened nine
requisitions for immediate hire here at Platform Apps Engineering at
Intel, Folsom.
*	533375, 533376, 533377, 533378, 533384 - CS and CpE
*	533374, 533382 - EEE and CpE

There is one additional unopened req coming out for EEE and CpE. Please
do not cross-apply. I encourage all candidates to apply to the reqs
and on line and also send me their resumes. I look forward to talking to them.

Be prepared! Know what is on your resume!

Thanks,
Has

--
Has Chaudhuri
Bearlake-X, OEM Tools
Intel Corporation
Email: has.chaudhuri@intel.com

Paid Internships in federal agencies and corporations!!!

This is a great opportunity.  A CSUS EEE student interned on the East Coast last summer creating sensing
devices/mine safety equipment for the federal agency responsible for mining safety. He learned a lot and
met a ton of great engineers from all over the country committed to this important project.

A representative from HACU - the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities will conduct and
information session regarding their internship program in Washington, DC.

Date: Wednesday, April 25th
Time: 1-2pm
Where: Multi-Cultural Center

All majors are welcome to attend, including students and faculty.

Internships are:

Available to all students of all ethnicities, undergrad and grad students;



For more information, click on the link below.
http://www.hnip.net/>http://www.hnip.net/

Are you looking for a fabulous summer internship opportunity? San Diego Gas and Electric, a division of
Sempra Energy is hiring interns and providing apartments in San Diego for the summer! 

Would you like to experience hands-on engineering, and have the opportunity to live by the beach?


Well, look no further. San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) has an opportunity to spend the summer in San
Diego. Work at great company! Learn more about Engineering! Have an Engineering Mentor! Take Exciting
Tours! Fun Company Sponsored Activities!

Best of all get paid, and have your housing provided by San Diego Gas & Electric.The housing is fully
furnished beautiful (I am not kidding!)apartments.

We are looking for Electrical Engineering majors who have an interest in Power, and are currently in
their Sophomore, Junior or Senior year.

If you are interested, please email your resume to athomas3@semprautilities.com.

The center has opened 8 new "freshout" civil service positions. These are specifically directed towards
hiring folks right out of school and are very generic. The idea is to bring engineers on board, rotate
them through several branches, and then decide where they best fit.
 
If you are graduating (either a BS or MS), and want to work for NASA apply below
 

http://jobsearch.usajobs.opm.gov/a9nasai.asp

http://www.nasajobs.nasa.gov/

 
Either of these links will take you to the same place


Spread this info far and wide!


Aerospace Engr (Trainee) Systems, Simulation & Controls

Vacancy Ann.#:  DF07D0092
Pay Plan:   GS-0861-7/9 FPL GS-13
Multiple vacancies

 
Aerospace Engr (Trainee) Aerodynamic Stability, Structural Integrity & Airworthiness

Vacancy Ann.#:DF07D0089
Pay Plan: GS-0861-7/9 FPL GS-13
Multiple vacancies


Electronics Engineer (Trainee)  

Vacancy Ann.#: DF07D0091
Pay Plan:  GS-0861-7/9 FPL GS-13
Multiple vacancies

 
Bobbi L. Ward
Human Resources Specialist
NASA Dryden Flight Research Center
PO Box 273 MS 2407
Edwards, CA  93523-0273
voice: 661-276-3312
fax: 661-276-2276

bobbi.l.ward@nasa.gov

 

The County of Sacramento Municipal Services Agency invites you to attend our Engineer Hiring Fair!
 
Thursday, May 3, 2007 from 11 AM-7 PM 
10545 Armstrong Avenue, Mather, CA. 
 
We are seeking entry-level engineers, currently registered professional engineers, and engineers who have
taken the CA Professional Engineer’s (Civil, Traffic and Electrical) exam. We have a number of openings
in the following departments: Water Resources, Transportation, Water Quality and County Engineering.

Please visit www.msa.saccounty.net to learn more about us.  
 
Why should you attend this event? 
•Interviews and offers for jobs on the spot 
•Opportunities to meet and talk with Sacramento County engineers 
•Learn about Municipal Services Agency engineering projects and assignments 
•Food and beverages will be served 
 
What do we offer? 
•Competitive salaries and excellent benefit package 
•A challenging and professional work environment  
•A variety of work assignments and specialty areas 
•The chance to make a difference in the community 
•Excellent opportunities to manage projects from start to finish 
•Career advancement opportunities 

More Information: 
Call Mark Galimba (916) 875-4343 or Tiare Harrison at (916) 875-4346. 

It is recommended that you bring your employment application, responses to the supplemental questions and
required documentation (copies of PE and EIT Certification, diploma,  references, etc.) with you.  The
application and supplemental questions can also be completed at the  hiring fair.  See back for a map to
the event. If you’re not able to attend, please mail your application and supplemental responses to:
County of Sacramento, Employment Office, 609 9th Street, Sacramento, CA 95814 

or apply online at...  
WWW.SACCOUNTYJOBS.ORG 

Assistant Engineer– Civil 
Associate Transportation Engineer and Associate Civil Engineer 
Options include: General, Highway, Sanitary and  Water Resources 
$48,900-$75,105 
$75,000-$91,183 

∗ $1,500 signing bonus for new employees 
∗ $1,200 education 
reimbursement allowance 

Senior Transportation Engineer and 
Senior Civil Engineer 
Options include: General, Highway and Sanitary
 
$92,036-$101,456 
∗ 3.35% management 
differential 

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL BUREAU of the LEGISLATIVE DATA CENTER  Is hiring for INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
SPECIALIST I, RANGE E  (EQUIVALENT TO:  STAFF PROGRAMMER ANALYST (SPECIALIST)in SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA   
SALARY:  $4,900 - $6,255 - FINAL FILING DATE:  MAY 8, 2007   
 
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:  Under the general direction of the Business Systems Division Manager or an
Information Technology Specialist II or III, the incumbent acts as a lead programmer/analyst on
moderately to highly complex applications.  The incumbent will lead a small team of Information
Technology Specialist I’s on projects, and act as the lead analyst on the use of new technologies in
the configuration, maintenance and enhancement of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) systems (including the
Oracle E-Business Suite and HP/Peregrine Service Management (SC 6.0)), in the development and enhancement
of ancillary custom systems, and in the maintenance of COTS and custom production applications. 
 
HOW TO APPLY:  Submit a standard State application form (Std. 678) and resume which demonstrates that you
meet the Minimum Qualifications listed below to the Legislative Counsel Bureau Personnel Office, Attn: L.
Snow, 925 L Street, Suite 900, Sacramento, CA 95814. Applications must be received in the personnel
office by 5:00 p.m., Tuesday, May 8, 2007, or be postmarked by this date. You must include on your
application the alpha-numeric process indicator number 7DP009 after the position title on your
application.  

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:  Experience supporting one or more of the following COTS (commercial-off-
the-shelf) applications:  financial, human resources or payroll.  Experience with systems administration
of COTS applications in n-tier client/server and web environments.  Ability to lead a small project team
successfully on technically complex and mission-critical applications.  Ability to initiate projects,
prepare project plans and project definition documents; determine resources needed, monitor project
scope, write status reports and coordinate the work of the project team with minimal oversight.
Demonstrated knowledge of project management practices, tools and techniques to ensure projects stay on
schedule.  Ability to think tactically and strategically to provide information technology solutions and
services that meet the customers’ needs and fit into the IT architecture of the Data Center. 
Ability to effectively conduct prototype sessions as an iterative process to define and refine
requirements.  Excellent oral and written communication skills.  Ability to design, develop and deliver
presentations to inform customers and LDC management of project issues, status, system features, and
proposals.   
 
DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS:  Experience with Oracle E-Business Suite (Financials, Human Resources (HR) and
Payroll) applications and its architecture on a SUN platform.  Experience with other Oracle E-Business
Suite applications and/or related products including Projects, OTL, and Fixed Assets.  Experience with
HP/Peregrine Service Management (SC 6.0) software and architecture.  Demonstrated knowledge of
applications development and software engineering principles to analyze, design and construct automated
solutions that meet customers’ business and information systems requirements.  Demonstrated knowledge
of analysis methods to obtain and translate the customer’s technical and information needs into
automated solutions, and to resolve data processing issues and computer program errors.  Experience with
analysis, design and programming techniques to develop effective automated client/server and web
solutions.  Experience using RUP methodologies and performing requirements analysis.  Experience with one
or more commercial multi-user database systems.  Experience designing and creating database structures to
store, retrieve, update and display data in a relational database.  Knowledge of configuration management
tools to manage version control and tracking of program changes.  Experience with user interface
development tools and leading the development of one or more GUI or 
web interfaces for highly complex applications.  Knowledge of testing methods and tools used to ensure
appropriate development of test scripts and expected test results for unit testing, system testing,
integration testing, regression testing and acceptance testing.    
 
 

Environmental Resources Management will hold interviews from 12:00-4:00 on 5/1/07 in Riverside Hall
for:

Environmental Engineer

May 01, 2007 multiple interviews
Start Time 12:00pm
End Time 4:00pm

Majors Sought:
CE

Length of each interview: 45 min.

For position details: 
http://www.ecs.csus.edu/career/iss/students/

After reviewing the information  -  Please email resume to : ben.shelton@erm.com
Ben Shelton will review resumes and schedule candidates for interview to be held in RVR 2006

You will get a phone call or Email if Environmental Resources Management is interested in you!

IMMEDIATE OPENING - Summer Intern/Coop - Walnut Creek, CA location

We are looking for a Remedy/ Crystal Support Intern with very strong technical and communication
knowledge. Summary: Provide 24x7 tier-1 & tier-2 Network Remedy System/ Crystal Enterprise support.
Handle customer calls regarding Remedy/ Crystal application issues and resolve them in a timely manner.
Document and troubleshoot application problems. Troubleshoot Remedy Server problems & Crystal Enterprise
Server issues related to hardware, server processes and database. Troubleshoot connectivity issues
between Client and Server Install and configure WEB components. Install and configure application clients
for new users/desktops. Grant and manage all user access privileges and permissions. Gather system
performance metrics and generate system availability reports. Coordinate with application vendor to get
and install latest application patches and versions.

QUALIFICATIONS:Must be currently enrolled in Bachelor’s or Master’s degree program in
CS/CpE/Electrical/ Electronics Engineering or related. Must be at Junior level with 3.0 GPA. See req for
additional details.Experience in writing C++, JAVA programs, HTML, DHTML, csh & Perl scripts · Strong
Knowledge of SQL is a must · Knowledge of UNIX Systems is preferred · Excellent communications and
analytical skills Additional Requirements: · Ability to work within a team environment with customers
and any other third party contacts. · Ability to research and troubleshoot all Remedy/Crystal system
components including hardware, software and database. · Excellent written and communication skills is a
must.

At Verizon Wireless, the reliability of our network is a direct result of the performance of our talented
team. From career development seminars to technology-specific workshops, we give our employees the tools
they need to move forward and our efforts have placed us on Training magazine’s "Top 100 Training
Organizations in America" for the last five consecutive years. As a company, we embrace diversity, not
only because it’s the right thing to do, but also because it’s smart business. In fact, our
support has earned us recognition as the Number 1 organization on Diversity Inc.’s Top 100
Companies, as well as one of Working Mother’s Top 100 Companies for the past five years.

As we prepare for the next generation of wireless communications, we invite you to become a part of the
future. To learn more, visit us online at verizonwireless.com/careers. Apply to Req 183361.

Own Your Career.


John Laughon
HR Business Partner| NCNV Region | Verizon Wireless | Mobile 916.212.7355| Desk 916.357.3909

Employers are hiring from the resumes posted on our web site at http://www.ecs.csus.edu/career.  If you
have not already posted your resume on the ECS Career Services Office Web Site, now is the time!!!  Just
click on the Post Your Resume button!

Cool new feature!!!  Employers are able to search your resume now with key words!

I also send resumes out to companies so send me a soft copy in MS Word.  cici@csus.edu

The College of Engineering and Computer Science Is Desperate for Your Data

Please report any offers that you have received to ECS Career Services Web site:

 http://www.ecs.csus.edu  - click on the graduation cap 

If you have graduated in the past few years or if you are graduating this semester we need your data. 


The information you share is used for ABET reports and to help me identify trends in employment and
salaries.

I keep your info confidential.  I only report the data!  I use your contact data to confirm and to keep
in touch with you.