Instructor:

Nam Sun Wang

Class Hours: W2:00-2:50pm, Rm 1110 Engineering Bldg.

Office Hours: W11am-12noon (Rm 1208D Chemical Engineering Bldg.)

Phone: 405-1910 (call for appointment outside the office hours)

Required Textbooks:

Recommended Readings:

• Strategies & Skills of Technical Presentations, James G. Gray, Jr., Quorum Books, New York, 1986.
• Presenting Technical Ideas: A Guide to Audience Communication, W.A. Mambert, John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1968.
• Effective Technical Speeches and Sessions, Howard Manko, McGraw-Hill, New York, 1969.
• Scientific Papers and Presentations, Martha Davis, Academic Press, New York, 1996.

Prerequisites:

Contents:

In class, each student will present 4 talks, usually ~8 minutes in duration, followed by a 2-minute discussion period, for a total of ~10 minutes. Each student is responsible for selecting a suitable topic that has not been presented previously. Everyone is expected to participate actively in the ensuing class discussion by asking questions and providing constructive criticism.

Grading:

• Class attendance is required.
• Oral Presentations
• Effectiveness of visual aids
• Participation in class discussion
• Constructive comments in peer evaluations

Oral Presentations:

1. A description of yourself or "My Career in Chemical Engineering" (1 page description, due 2/08) (8-minute presentation, outline, no visual aid, 2/08, 2/15, & 2/22).
2. A Piece of Equipment or Process (8-minute presentation, outline, poster/device; 2/29, 3/07, & 3/14). Possible content:
   • History & Invention
   • Working Principles
   • Show a model or an actual device
   • Chemical Process Equipment, Computer, Household Appliances, etc.
3. Topic with Equations, Graphs, and/or Tables (8-minute presentation, outline, Power Point slides; 4/04, 4/11, 4/18)
4. Technical Topic (8-minute presentation, outline, Power Point slides; 4/25, 5/02, 5/09).

In addition to absorbing the technical information presented by your classmates, carefully observe their styles and be alert. You are expected to participate actively in class discussion by asking questions and providing constructive criticism. Everyone takes notes and completes the evaluation form, which is to returned to the instructor at the end of the class.

Visual aids (slides or posters), as indicated, are required for oral presentations. A brief outline is to be given to the instructor at the beginning of the class during which the presentation is to be delivered.

My Career in Chemical Engineering

1. Who am I?
2. Educational & Professional Background
3. Why Chemical Engineering
   • What is Chemical Engineering?
   • What does a Chemical Engineer do?
4. My First Professional Position
   • Job Hunting Plans
   • Strategy
   • Selection Criteria
5. Short-Term Plans: Post-Graduation
6. Long-Term Plans: 10 to 20 Years from Now

Oral Presentation Evaluation

1. Choice of Topic
   • Appropriate
   • Interesting
2. Preparation
   • Technical Accuracy and Thoroughness
   • Outline (Written and Oral)
   • Visual Aids (Quantity, Quality, Information Content)
   • Practice
3. Presentation
   • Overall Effect
   • Introduction
   • Body
   • Closing
   • Content
   • Timing
   • Organization (Flow of Thought, Clarity of Explanation)
4. Demeanor
   • Personal Impression
   • Reading, Eye Contact, etc.
   • Fidgets, Hesitates, etc.
   • Speech Clarity, Speed
5. Tentative Grade

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Chemical Engineering Seminar -- Syllabus
Forward comments to:

Nam Sun Wang Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering University of Maryland College Park, MD 20742-2111 301-405-1910 (voice) 301-314-9126 (FAX) e-mail: nsw@umd.edu ©2012 by Nam Sun Wang