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NEWS & EVENTS: ARCHIVES
Distinguished Speaker Series: Wednesday, November 2, 2005
 "Determinism, Freedom and Society"
Daniel Dennett, Director of Center for Cognitive Studies, Tufts
University and University Professor & Austin B. Fletcher Professor of
Philosophy
The Gordon Institute hosted a Distinguished Speaker Series lecture on
Wednesday evening, November 2, 2005. The guest was Professor Daniel
Dennett - renowned philosopher and author. Professor Dennett discussed
the widespread and deeply entrenched belief that the advance of science
threatens human free will by revealing that our intentional actions are
caused by factors that are out of our control. He addressed how the
traditional idea that free will depends on our having immaterial souls
is being challenged by the growing consensus in science that our
material brains are the complicated by unmysterious organs of all
thought, consciousness and decision. Professor Dennett then presented
his views on free will - theorizing that is free will is not just an
illusion but that we need to reconceive of its requirements in order to
see how to protect our freedom from the innovations in the cultural
environment that actually do threaten it.
Daniel C. Dennett, Tufts Professor and Director of the Center for
Cognitive Studies at Tufts University, has written eight books,
including Freedom Evolves (Viking Penguin, 2003) and Darwin's Dangerous
Idea (Simon & Schuster, 1995). He has authored over two hundred
scholarly articles on various aspects on the mind, published in journals
ranging from Artificial Intelligence and Behavioral and Brain Sciences
to Poetics Today and the Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism.
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Gordon Institute Students Meet Jack and Suzy Welch 
On Saturday, April 16, 2005, a group of Gordon Institute students
attended a book signing featuring Jack and Suzy Welch. The Welch's recently published book,
Winning, describes the management wisdom that Jack built up through four and a half decades of work at GE. Although the Gordon Institute students were thrilled to be able to personally meet with Jack and Suzy, they may have been even more thrilled when Jack emailed them later to make arrangements to send them his tickets to an upcoming Red Sox game!
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Gordon Institute Graduates 33 Students in 2004/2005
 During the 2004/2005 academic year (September 2004-May 2005), 33 Gordon Institute students were awarded the MS degree in Engineering Management.
Nineteen of the graduates participated in Tufts' 149th Commencement Ceremonies held on Sunday, May 22, 2005. Fourteen more students completed their program requirements during the summer of 2005, bringing to 33 the total number of degrees awarded from September 2004 - August 2005.
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Gordon Institute Students Complete 2005 Summer Practicum Projects
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The Intel Intellectual Property Reuse Practicum Team during a visit to Intel in Chandler, AZ in July 2005.
Center; Eric Lish, Intel Project Sponsor L-R (TGI Class of '06 students) Luc Lemans, Shanti Chilukuri, Sharon Dingle, Ezra Hale and Mike McKenna,
Far Right; Jeff Slaton, Intel Project Sponsor. |
The Practicum, a highlight of TGI's M.S. program in Engineering Management, provides students the rare opportunity to conduct a project for another company, one different from where they are employed. In addition to building teamwork skills, this is a special chance for students to go inside and gain the perspective of the challenges that other companies in different industries face, and learn how similar and/or different they can be from their own.
During the summer of 2005, Gordon Institute students who were between their first and second year of the Institute's 2-year program were divided into teams. They were each given the task of helping a specific company solve a specific problem. Over the summer months, the student teams researched the problem, and developed a plan to solve it. Each team concluded their Practicum by presenting their findings to Gordon Institute faculty members and the company sponsors.
For Summer 2005, the following Practicum Projects were conducted:
- Arrow International: Implemented Lean Manufacturing for a Biomedical Device.
- Intel: Investigated Intellectual Property Reuse.
- Aspen Systems: Developed a Business Plan for a Personal Cooling Device.
- Mazecreator: Improved the Customer Experince for an On-line Software Game.
- Hewlett Packard: Developed a Capability Roadmap for HP's Volume Direct Business.
- Wyeth Biopharma: Improved the Supply Chain.
- Pest-Away: Developed an On-line Marketing Strategy for a Consumer Product Start-up.
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Distinguished Speaker Series: "The Creative Evolution of Steria: From French Venture to
European Leader in IT Systems and Services"
Creativity and innovation have been the driving forces of the evolution of
Steria, from its founding in 1969 by eight French owner-entrepreneurs to its
current position as a leading European information systems and services company
with 2003 sales of one billion euros and 8400 employees in 12 countries.
In his presentation, Pier Abetti discussed the stages of growth of Steria and
the factors that contributed to the success of the company during its 35 year
history. He also shared some insights that may be useful to entrepreneurs,
managers and strategic planners who want to evolve their business from national
to international, while maintaining the entrepreneurial spirit, rapid growth,
and profitability. Following the presentation, a panel of distinguished business
leaders and educators discussed the applicability of the Steria case to American
entrepreneurial companies.
Dr. Abetti has been Professor of Management of Technology and
Entrepreneurship in the Lally School of Management at Rensselaer Polytechnic
Institute (RPI), Troy, NY since 1982. He has written two books and over 150
technical and management papers in five languages. He has been teaching
Management of Technology and Innovation at the Gordon Institute since 1982.
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Gordon Institute Students Complete 2004 Summer Practicum Projects
The Practicum, a highlight of TGI's M.S. program in Engineering Management,
provides students the rare opportunity to conduct a project for another company,
one different from where they are employed. In addition to building teamwork
skills, this is a special chance for students to go inside and gain the
perspective of the challenges that other companies in different industries face,
and learn how similar and/or different they can be from their own.
During the summer of 2004, Gordon Institute students completed eight Practicum
projects. The students, who are between their first and second year of the
Institute's 2-year program, were divided into eight different teams. They were
each given the task of helping a specific company solve a specific problem. Over
the summer months, the student teams researched the problem, and developed a
plan to solve it. Each team concluded their Practicum by presenting their findings to Gordon Institute
faculty members and the company sponsors.
For Summer 2004, the following Practicum Projects were conducted:
- Parker Life Science Division, Parker-Hannifin: Recommended strategies to
eliminate sources of contamination in a high-performance metering valve.
- Cambridge Applied Systems: Developed a product improvement strategy for an
autoviscometer based on customer feedback, industry trends and product
economics.
- Johnson Controls: Developed a technology migration strategy for the control
systems on the Medford campus of Tufts.
- Axcelis Technologies: Developed a methodology to measure the business
effectiveness for firm’s software outsourcing strategy.
- Belmont Uplands Advisory Council: Analyzed strategic options to resolve
debate between environmentalists and business developers for a parcel of
wetlands in the Alewife area.
- Communications Management, Inc.: Recommended a business strategy to increase
revenue and maximize value of on-line communication course offerings.
- Northrup Grumman: Conducted market study and determine overall business
potential of a video security system
- BAE Systems: Developed a statistical bid modeling tool to allow functional
managers to improve effectiveness of their project resource planning methods.
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 Dr. Arthur Winston presents the IEEE President's Scholarship
Dr. Arthur Winston, 2004 President of the IEEE (Institute of Electronics and
Electrical Engineers), recently presented the $10,000 IEEE President's
Scholarship at the 54th Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. The
award recipient was Elizabeth Varela, a 16-year-old senior from Alexandria,
Virginia. Her project, "A Magnetohydrodynamic Direct Current Transformer," was
selected by a team of IEEE judges from a field of over 1,300 projects. The IEEE
scholarship, which recognizes an outstanding achievement in information
technology or electrical engineering, was the largest award presented at the
fair.
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 Dr. Arthur Winston, Director of The Gordon Institute
Elected as IEEE President - 2004
Dr. Arthur Winston, Director of The Gordon Institute, was elected as IEEE
President - 2004 (Institute of Electronics and Electrical Engineers). Winston
began serving as President-Elect on January 1, 2003. He will become President in
2004, and lead the IEEE and chair the IEEE Board of Directors.
Winston, an IEEE Life Fellow, has been an IEEE member since 1955. He served on
the IEEE Board of Directors from 1996-1999, holding positions of vice president
of Educational Activities and Region 1 director. He has served on numerous
committees and taken on leadership roles within the organization, including
chair of the Foundation Board and the Members Committee from 2000-2001. He has
been very active in the IEEE Boston Section, serving as chair in 1993 and
secretary from 1991-1992. He received an IEEE Third Millenium Medal in 2000.
The IEEE is a non-profit, technical professional association of more than
377,000 individual members in 150 countries. Through its members, the IEEE is a
leading authority in technical areas ranging from computer engineering,
biomedical technology and telecommunications, to electric power, aerospace and
consumer electronics, among others. Through its technical publishing,
conferences and consensus-based standards activities, the IEEE produces 30
percent of the world' s published literature in electrical engineering,
computers and control technology, holds annually more than 300 major conferences
and has more than 860 active standards with 700 under development.
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 Gordon Institute Graduates 38 Students
Gordon Institute students participate in Tufts' 147th Commencement
Ceremonies held on Sunday, May 18, 2003.
During the 2002/2003 academic year (September 2002-May 2003), 29 Gordon
Institute students were awarded the MS degree in Engineering Management. Nine
more students completed their program requirements during the summer of 2003,
bringing to 38 the total number of degrees awarded from September 2002 - August
2003.
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Distinguished Speaker Series "Challenges in the High Stakes World of Drug Development"
Stephen A. Williams, M.D., Ph.D.
Worldwide Head of Clinical Technology
Pfizer Global Research & Development
On Thursday evening, March 25, 2004, the Gordon Institute and Tufts
Bioengineering Center will co-host a Distinguished Speaker event. The
presentation, "Challenges in the High Stakes World of Drug Development"
will be given by Stephen A. Williams, M.D., Ph.D., Worldwide Head of Clinical
Technology, Pfizer Global Research & Development.
The mission of the Clinical Technology group at Pfizer is to build a bridge
between biomedical engineering and clinical pharmaceutical R&D, so that complex
technical advances are transformed into useful and practical decision-making
tools. In his talk Williams will address some of the challenges in managing
across these diverse functional areas, and discuss how effective leadership
strategies can drive successful drug development. He will also highlight some of
the innovative technologies that are currently being developed by his group.
Stephen Williams, M.D., Ph.D., is the Worldwide Head of Clinical Technology at
Pfizer Inc, New London, Connecticut. Williams joined Pfizer's UK Experimental
Medicine group in 1989, bringing with him significant research experience in
noninvasive clinical measurements in humans and diagnostic imaging techniques.
In 1993 he transferred to Pfizer in Groton, again in Experimental Medicine. In
1997 he started the Clinical Technology Group which became a worldwide line in
2000, with ~ 40 people across all the large research sites. In 2002, Steve was
invited to join the inaugural National Advisory Council for the new NIH
Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, and in 2003 the Scientific
Education and Training Subcommittee.
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Gordon Institute Students Complete 2003 Summer Practicum Projects
The Practicum, a highlight of TGI's M.S. program in Engineering Management,
provides students the rare opportunity to conduct a project for another company,
one different from where they are employed. In addition to building teamwork
skills, this is a special chance for students to go inside and gain the
perspective of the challenges that other companies in different industries face,
and learn how similar and/or different they can be from their own.
During the summer of 2003, 37 Gordon Institute students completed nine Practicum
projects. The students, who are between their first and second year of the
Institute's 2-year program, were divided into nine different teams. They were
each given the task of helping a specific company solve a specific problem. Over
the summer months, the student teams researched the problem, and developed a
plan to solve it.
On Tuesday, September 16, 2003, in a day long symposium held at The Gordon
Institute, the nine teams presented their findings to their fellow classmates
and the company sponsors.
For Summer 2003, the following Practicum Projects were conducted:
- John Hancock Financial Services -
Participating Pension Evaluation
- User Interface Engineering -
Search Engine Analysis
- Virtutech AB -
Virtual Machines Market Opportunity Assessment
- Aspen Systems, Inc. -
Market Research & Analysis for Aspen Systems, Inc. Thermal Division
- Power Object, Inc. -
Technology on Demand, Next Generation Software Engineering
- Evolved Nanomaterial Sciences -
SWOT Analysis & Product Development Roadmap
- BioProducts International -
Market Analysis & Strategic Plan Development for Tufts Invented Technology in
Biodiesel Fuel Processing
- Invensys -
Improve Resource Utilization in Software Development
- Axcelis Technologies -
Improving Field Service Response Time
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The Gordon Institute Collaborates on NERDGIRLS project
The Gordon Institute is collaborating with Dr. Karen Panetta and the Tufts
School of Engineering on the project, "Nerdgirls: Breaking the Stigmas and
Stereotypes of Women in Engineering". The project is designed to increase the
number of women who pursue engineering careers.
The project centers around a group of female engineering students at Tufts
who will build an energy efficient automobile and drive it down the East coast,
visiting local communities along the way and sharing their experiences with K-12
educators and students. The team will also interact with professional women
engineers who will consult on the project. In addition, the project will
incorporate the making of a video documentary on women in engineering: one that
takes an in-depth look at several female students' personal lives as they pursue
their engineering degrees.
The project will show a wide audience of young people how Tufts Women in
Engineering students work together to design and construct an engineering
system. The project will showcase women's talents, diverse backgrounds and
engineering skills.
Additional information on the project can be found on the web site
http://nerdgirls.eecs.tufts.edu/
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Dr. Arthur Winston Travels to England to Present Milestone Plaques
at the Benjamin Franklin House and Bletchley Park
Arthur Winston, director of the Gordon Institute at Tufts and 2004 president
of the Institute of Electronics and Electrical Engineers, traveled to England in
early April to present milestone plaques dedicating the Benjamin Franklin House
in London and Bletchley Park in Central Milton Keynes. The Franklin House is
multi-million dollar project to restore Franklin's place of residence from 1757
to 1775 and to endow scholarships, educational exchange and operating support
for the house. It is the only restored place, either in the United States or
England, in which Franklin lived and worked. Bletchley Park is the site where
12,000 men and women broke the German code, Enigma, during World War II. Using
innovative mathematical analysis and two computing machines developed by Alan
Turing, the code-breakers' achievements greatly shortened the war, saving
countless lives. The Bletchley Park Trust is working to preserve and restore its
core historic buildings.
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Gordon Institute Students Complete Summer Practicum Projects
The Practicum, a highlight of TGI's M.S. program in Engineering Management,
provides students the rare opportunity to conduct a project for another company,
one different from where they are employed. In addition to building teamwork
skills, this is a special chance for students to go inside and gain the
perspective of the challenges that other companies in different industries face,
and learn how similar and/or different they can be from their own.
During the summer of 2002, 30 Gordon Institute students completed Practicum
projects. The students, who are between their first and second year of the
Institute's 2-year program, were divided into seven different teams. They were
each given the task of helping a specific company solve a specific problem. Over
the summer months, the student teams researched the problem, and developed a
plan to solve it.
On Thursday, September 26, in a day long symposium held at The Gordon
Institute, the seven teams presented their findings to their fellow classmates
and the company sponsors.
For Summer 2002, the following Practicum Projects were conducted:
-
 Axcelis
Technologies - Engineering Requirements for a Product Data Management System
- Molson Beer - Economic Impact of Improving Beer Quality
- SEA Consultants - Implementation Plan for a Strategic Initiative
- Shipley - Supply Chain Optimization for Eastern and Central United States
Customers
- Peabody Chamber of Commerce - Economic Impact of Flooding in Downtown
Peabody
- Polaroid - Battery Inventory Reduction
- Invensys/Foxboro - Process Improvements for Software Development
Members of the Molson Practicum Team
take a break from their Economic Impact Study
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Dr. Arthur Winston Receives IEEE Leadership Award
On May 9th, 2002, Dr. Arthur Winston, Chair of The Gordon Institute, was
awarded the IEEE Boston Section Leadership Award at the group's annual meeting.
This award was given in recognition of the many contributions he has made to the
IEEE Boston Section; including establishing the Section's business office and
leading major conferences and trade shows over the years.
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Distinguished Speaker Series Features VP of R & D at ABIOMED, Inc.
On Thursday evening, April 11, 2002, Dr. Farhad Zarinetchi, Vice President of
R& D at ABIOMED, Inc. was the guest speaker in The Gordon Institute's
Distinguished Speaker Series. ABIOMED, Inc. has recently received worldwide
attention for bringing the first totally implantable heart into critical trials.
In his talk, "The AbioCor Artificial Heart: Challenges in Designing a Mechanical
Heart", Dr. Zarinetchi discussed the development history of AbioCor, and
provided some background information on the clinical needs for the device. He
also reviewed the development track for system, and addressed some of the
management challenges that exist in carrying out such an incredibly challenging,
multi-disciplinary product development effort.
Over 60 guests attended this event; including, TGI students and alumni, Tufts
University faculty members and prospective TGI students.
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Gordon Institute Graduates 41 Students
 On
Sunday May 19th, 2002, 41 Gordon Institute students participated in Tufts' 146th
Commencement Ceremonies.
This year's group of graduates is the largest to complete the Institute's
Master of Science Program in Engineering Management since the school was founded
by Dr. Bernard Gordon in 1984.
TGI Students Celebrate the Last Day of Classes!
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To read about more exciting news and events involving the entire Tufts
University community, check out Tufts E-news - Tufts'
comprehensive university-wide electronic news channel.
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