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2017 Annual Hafleh
The Arab American Association of Engineers and Architects Illinois chapter held its annual hafleh to gather members, friends, and families on the evening of April 7th, 2017. This year, the executive board steered away from tradition, delivering a fun night full of excitement and fond memories.
The night began with a word from our President, Issam Rayyan, thanking our supporters, sponsors, members, and attendees. A special thank you was given to our special guests AAAEA Wisconsin, Arab American Family Services, Arab American Action Network, Arab American BAR Association, Arab American Business and Professional Association, Arab American Medical Association, Center for Arab American Philanthropy, Network of Arab American Professionals, and Syrian American Engineers and Architects. Several raffles were conducted giving away a variety of gifts, including the grand prizes of two televisions. To engage all guests, the committee organized a game of Family Feud. The interactive game was enjoyed as laughter filled the room. Following dinner, a comedic magician performed his mystery filled and entertaining act taking several volunteers of all ages to assist in his enticing performance. It was enjoyed by all and an overall good addition to our hafleh. The remainder of the evening was full of socializing, dabkeh, and dancing to music provided by our live DJ.
Looking back, the event was successful in achieving the goal of incorporating a new program aimed to deliver an enjoyable and memorable night to all who attended.
AAAEA 2017 ACT CLASSES
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2017-2018 Postgraduate/Postdoctoral Fellowships in Conservation of Museum Collections
The Smithsonian’s Office of Fellowships and Internships has announced one-year fellowships for recent graduates of masters programs in art and archaeological conservation (or the equivalent) or conservation scientists, including those at the postdoctoral level, to conduct research and gain further training in Smithsonian centers for the conservation and research of museum collections. The fellowship begins in the fall of 2017. A stipend of $37,700 is being offered at the postgraduate level and $48,000 at the postdoctoral level, plus a research allowance up to $4,000. While 12-month fellowship proposals are preferred, applications for projects of shorter duration (3 to 12 months) are acceptable, with a commensurate reduction to the stipend amounts. The prospective fellow must first contact the conservator or scientist with whom he or she would like to work and is encouraged to seek direction with crafting an effective proposal. Previously successful proposals have benefited from the proposed mentor’s guidance in developing the research question and navigating the Smithsonian collections. If the potential supervisor confirms that candidacy is suitable, application must be made through the Office of Fellowships and Internships by December 1, 2016. Program guidelines and instructions for application are available at http://www.smithsonianofi.com/fellowship-opportunities/smithsonian-postgraduate-fellowships-in-conservation-of-museum-collections-program/.
As one of the conservation laboratories in which a fellowship is offered, the Smithsonian’s Museum Conservation Institute (MCI) offers postings for treatment and research projects benefiting Smithsonian collections that make use of MCI’s excellent analytical capabilities (http://www.si.edu/mci/). Contact:
Mary Ballard, Senior Textiles Conservator, 301-238-1210, ballardm@si.edu
Shannon A. Brogdon-Grantham, Photograph and Paper Conservator, 301-238-1241, brogdon-granthams@si.edu
A. Elena Charola, Research Scientist (biodeterioration, stone), 301-238-1213, charolaa@si.edu
Paula T. DePriest, Deputy Director (biodeterioration), 301-238-1206, depriestp@si.edu
Janet G. Douglas, Head of Technical Studies (analysis of cultural heritage), 301-238-1238, douglja@si.edu
Christine France, Research Physical Scientist (stable isotopes), 301-238-1261, francec@si.edu
Carol Grissom, Senior Objects Conservator, 301-238-1236, grissomc@si.edu
Jessica S. Johnson, Head of Conservation (archaeological materials), 301-238-1218, johnsonjs@si.edu
Rebecca Kaczkowski, Preventive Conservator, 301-238-1242, kaczkowskir@si.edu
Gwénaëlle Kavich, Conservation Scientist (materials characterization), 301-238-1265, kavichgm@si.edu
Robert J. Koestler, Director (biodeterioration), 301-238-1205, koestlerr@si.edu
Thomas Lam, Physical Scientist (SEM-EDS, CL, XRF and microfadeometry), 301-238-1232, lamt@si.edu
Nicole Little, Physical Scientist (ICP-MS, XRD, SEM-EDS), 301-238-1243, littlen@si.edu
Odile Madden, Research Scientist (modern materials, plastic, Raman spectroscopy), 301-238-1257, maddeno@si.edu
Dawn Rogala, Paintings Conservator (modern paints, artists’ materials research/archives), 301-238-1255, rogalad@si.edu
Jia-Sun Tsang, Senior Paintings Conservator (research and treatment of modern and contemporary art), 301-238-1231, tsangj@si.edu
Ed Vicenzi, Research Scientist (microanalysis & imaging of heritage materials), 301-238-1215, vicenzie@si.edu
E. Keats Webb, Imaging Specialist (scientific and computational imaging), 301-238-1212, webbekeats@si.edu
Fellows may also be hosted in the conservation and analytical laboratories of other Smithsonian museums and research centers, with the possibility of additional facilities for analytical work available at MCI. The conservator contacts for these museums are listed below:
Malcolm Collum, Engen Conservation Chair, National Air and Space Museum (objects,) 703-572-4361, collumm@si.edu
Tiarna Doherty, Chief of Conservation, Smithsonian American Art Museum (colonial to contemporary paintings, paper, objects, and frames), 202-633-5802, dohertyt@si.edu
Janice Ellis, Senior Paper Conservator, National Museum of American History (books and paper), 202-633-3623, ellisjs@si.edu
Kira Eng-Wilmot, Senior Textile Conservator, Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum (decorative/applied arts: textiles, paper, three-dimensional objects), 212-849-8462, engwilmots@si.edu
Sunae Park Evans, Senior Costume Conservator, National Museum of American History (costumes and textiles), 202-633-3629, evanssu@si.edu
Andrew Hare, Supervisory Oriental Art Restoration, Freer and Sackler Galleries (objects, paper, and Asian paintings; and conservation science), 202-633-0370, harean@si.edu . Special note: Due to museum construction, the Freer and Sackler Galleries are not currently accepting applications for fellowships in this cycle; however they do welcome inquiries from persons interested in developing a project at a future date.
Catharine Hawks, Natural History Conservator, National Museum of Natural History (natural history and anthropological objects), 202-633-0835, hawksc@si.edu
Nora Lockshin, Senior Conservator, Smithsonian Institution Archives (archives, books, and paper), 202-633-5913, lockshinn@si.edu
Dana Moffett, Senior Conservator, National Museum of African Art (objects), 202-633-4614, moffettd@si.edu . Special note: The National Museum of African Art is not accepting applications for the Smithsonian Conservation fellowships but will have other fellowship opportunities available for the 2017-2018 cycle.
Lou Molnar, Head of Conservation, National Portrait Gallery (paintings and paper), 202-633-5822, molnarl@si.edu
Beth Richwine, Senior Objects Conservator, National Museum of American History (objects), 202-633-3639, richwineb@si.edu
Gwynne Ryan, Chief Conservator, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden (modern materials), 202-633- 2728, ryangw@si.edu
IL Chapter 2016 Summer Picnics
Listed below are the links and days for the summer picnics of 2016. They are all at the same location (Ty Warner Park in Westmont).
Food, fun, and sun! What more can you ask for?
We hope to see you there!
Picnic 1;
June 04
http://aaaea.org/il/event/aaaea-picnic-1/
July 17
http://aaaea.org/il/event/aaaea-picnic-2/
August 20
http://aaaea.org/il/event/aaaea-picnic-3/
September 10
http://aaaea.org/il/event/aaaea-picnic-4/
IL Chapter 2016 Haflah
Welcome to the 2016 IL Chapter Haflah! There will be food, drinks, music, prize giveaways, and more! To purchase your tickets, please visit this link!
Tickets can be bought for $65 for members, and $85 for non-members.
Date: 22 APRIL 2016
Time: 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Location:
Belvedere Chateau
8055 W 103rd St.
Palos Hills, IL 60465United States
Interview of the Month (April-2015)
April 2015 : Hedaia Ahmad
1. Please introduce yourself:
education, background and family. My name is Hedaia Ahmad, I am currently a senior in the Illinois Institute of Technology. I will be graduating in a couple of weeks. My degree will be in Civil Engineering Specializing in Structural Engineering and Construction Management. I am currently the President of AAAEA IIT Student Chapter.
2. What activities did you have at your school recently?
AAAEA IIT Chapter has been very active this past year. Some of the events that we had this year the CAE Career Fair, Professional Resume Editing, Weekly AutoCad and Arabic Classes, Professional Startup Workshop, Taste of IIT, NASCC Steel Conference in TN, FE/PE Examination Preparation Lecture.
3. Please elaborate on the benefits of the interaction between students and professionals at AAAEA.
The benefits in my opinion would be two folds; build connections that would be useful in the future and Learn aspects of the field that only professionals would be exposed to. Since I am graduating this may, the IL Chapter helped me to connect to professionals and expand my network. Through this network I was able to meet many professionals with different backgrounds that were very interested in helping out. I am thankful for all AAAEA IL Chapter’s support and help they provided for our students.
4. What are the advantages of joining AAAEA while you are a student?
One big advantage is that you are granted the opportunity to attend the scheduled events all the professionals attend. This gives you the opportunity to network and build connections with these professionals, which could eventually lead to advances in your professional career. Also as a student you are granted massive discounts that professionals do not receive. Last but not least, as students we are granted the opportunity to be a part of more extracurricular activities outside of our university’s range, pushing us to higher standards of professionals we interact with. As a leader of AAAEA IIT Chapter and also the being the CMAA IIT President this year has tremendously expanded my leadership and team work skills. Serving the IIT community was a great experience for me and the active members that are involved in AAAEA. It really helped us to grow professionally and personally as young future engineers for our community. AAAEA is a great organization, it is my honor to serve and help this organization and make it a great resource for students and professionals in the near future. I am really looking forward to expand and promote AAAEA.
5. What do you think of having AAAEA student forum?
I believe that would offer a great opportunity to connect to the other chapters within the organization. It would make planning inter-chapter events a much smoother process as well.
6. What would you say was the best experience you've had during your time as the president of AAAEA?
If I had to choose I would say the Professional Startup Workshop 3-in-1 event where we informed students about the professional world and the tools required to attain a career in their prospective fields, we had three sessions in one day. We did a LinkedIn workshop, business card printing and a professional photo for students to have on their LinkedIn profile. These services were provided free for students and we had a professional to inform them about LinkedIn and business card tips, this event was a joint event along with CMAA, SEAOI IIT Chapters. The career fair earlier this semester was also very beneficial, we had around 15 companies and over 100 students signed up for this event. It was also a joint event with CMAA and ASCE. We are planning to make these two events part of AAAEA IIT Chapters events and I highly recommend all the AAAEA Student Chapter to do these events at their respective schools.
2015 Educational Spring Conference
2015 Educational Spring Conference
(4) Professional Development Hours
Presentation # 1:
The State of the Art in Previous Concrete
(By: Brian Lutey, VP of Sustainability and Compliance)
Presentation # 2:
Underground Detention Systems and Structural BMP Designs to Meet Local Regultions
(By: A.J. Margetis and Kevin Klein, Contech)
Presentation # 3:
Design Consideration for Rail Road Bridges
(By: Ahmad Hammad, Parsons Brinckerhoff)
Presentation # 4:
Soft Ground Tunneling, When is it a Good Design Idea
(By: Lewis Shapiro, J.D. Tunneling)
Presentation # 5:
Post-tensioned Systems for Structures
(By: Said Nour, DSI)
Presentation # 6:
IDOT Projects Formatting
The conference was a major success running from 8:30 in the morning to 2:00 in the afternoon. AAAEA offered coffee breaks and a small breakfast, but then ended the conference with a free lunch. The conference took place at HBM Engineering Group LLC location in Hillside, IL and the cost was only $20 for members and $25 for non-members. The organizer of the event was Mohsen Issa who is the Educational Chair Board member of AAAEA-IL.
2015 Spring Career Networking
The career committee of the AAAEA-IL hosted its first career networking event on April 26th 2015. This event aimed to empower the undergraduate and graduate students, unemployed, or underemployed professional in their job track selection, application, interviews, and offer negotiation. Mr. Bilal Al-Masri emphasized on the importance of developing professional networks, which plays a major role in exposing qualified candidates to the right employers. Developing a network could be through student organizations and clubs, professional organizations, or technical committees. Mr. Hani Mayzouni introduced in his presentation essential points to acquire before any job application including a clear business card that describes qualifications and skills, solid and concise resume, and a 30-second introduction that provide a good idea about the candidate. He also talked about the how to establish a professional network through the community, college mates, professional and social events. After that, Mr. Mayzouni discussed the process of job application, interview, and offer negotiation. Dr. Mohsen Issa, professor of civil engineering at the university of Illinois in Chicago, discussed the benefits of graduate studies, and provides tips about managing time between work and studies, as well as how to embark the academic track with solid technical knowledge and qualifications. An open discussion was then held to answer the questions of the audience.
Khaled Hasiba
AAAEA-Chicago
Career Chair
Project Pipeline: Have Your Children Learn About Engineering
AAAEA-Chicago is pleased to support the Illinois chapter of the National Organization of 
Minority Architects (I-NOMA) in their fourth annual Project Pipeline. This collaboration is only the latest of AAAEA’s endeavors to increase involvement in diverse activities and prioritize meaningful community engagement. This follows AAAEA’s recent invitation to speak about diversity at the United States Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board “Celebrate Diversity” Event and successful implementation of the first ever Arab American Big Brother Big Sister Mentoring program.
Project Pipeline is a day camp aimed to expose Chicago 6th to 8 th graders to the design professions of architecture and engineering. This year’s program will take place from August 20th to August 23rd at the University of Chicago campus. Students will be exposed to architecture and design basics including sketching seminars, model building workshops, walking tours, and presentation of real design problems. This year’s theme is “Social Good through Design.”
AAAEA has committed itself to working closely with Arab American Family Services (AAFS) and local schools to reach out to eligible students. Enrollment continues to be successful and AAAEA encourages all interested students to sign up.
Additionally, AAAEA is seeking opportunities for engineering firms and members of AAAEA to collaborate on the project in terms of financial sponsorship or volunteering to mentor during the camp. Educating the youth on the exciting career choices they have in architecture and design is an increasingly important goal for developing future talent.
Please feel free to contact Dana Al-Qadi (dana.alqadi@aecom.com) or Khaled Hasiba (career@aaaea.org) with any questions or concerns.