The Tennessee Valley Authority is the nation’s largest public power provider, generating about 24,000 megawatts of electricity and serving 8.6 million people through local distributers. This unique federal corporation provides electricity from generating plants that include three nuclear, 11 fossil, 29 hydroelectric, six combustion-turbine, and one pumped-storage plant. TVA’s renewable energy program, Green Power Switch, includes 16 solar sites, one wind-energy site, and a methane gas facility. Fossil-fuel plants produce about 60 percent of TVA’s power, nuclear plants about 30 percent, and hydropower dams about 10 percent. Green power also contributes to the generation mix. TVA does more than generate power. It controls river navigation in the TVA area and supports economic development in the Valley. TVA serves as an environmental steward of the nation’s fifth-largest river system.

Our guest speaker for our October meeting is a member of the TVA Board of Directors, Howard Thraikill.

Mr. Thrailkill previously was president and chief operating officer of Adtran, Inc., in Huntsville, which supplies equipment for telecommunications service providers and corporate end-users. He has also served as president and chief executive officer of the firm Floating Point Systems. He is a graduate of Georgia Tech with a B.S. in electrical engineering and holds a master’s degree from the Florida Institute of Technology.

Our meeting is October 1, at the Von Braun Research Hall on the UAH campus. The meeting will start at 11:30 and be over by 1 p.m. One professional development hour will be awarded attendees. This meeting is open to the public. The lunch cost is $10. Reservations can be made by contacting James Denson at jjdenson@reiszeng.com or calling (256) 883-2531.

Nicholas Giordano of Decatur was recognized by the North Ala. Section of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers as the “Professional of the Year” Tuesday night, September 9th at the Huntsville Area Technical Societies annual recognition dinner. Giordano, a Senior Engineer with the US Army Aviation and Missile Command at Redstone Arsenal, was recognized for his outstanding engineering achievements, having been cited by the US Army with the Army Achievement Medal for Civilian Service and with the Commanders Award. He has been published extensively in professional and technical journals. Giordano was also recognized for his long community service. He is a 23-year member of ASME and currently serves as Treasure of the North Alabama Section.

The subject of our May 2008 meeting, the electromagnetic engine, will be in the November issue of ASME's "Mechanical Engineering". In an article by Al Reisz titled "To Go Beyond", the electromagnetic engine is featured.

• Promote the inclusion of women and under-represented minorities in ASME Student Sections and in mechanical engineering;
• Inspire K-12 students to excel in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education;
• Engage international participation in ASME Student Sections;
• Assist minority- and/or women-owned businesses solve engineering design problems

• Putting faces to what has often been referred to as “the stealth profession”
• Showing a group of young, diverse and talented engineers, thereby portraying engineering as an exciting profession open to everyone
• Providing both stimulation and incentive for college engineering students to explore the variety of career options available to them with their engineering degrees as well as encouraging high school students to study engineering in college
• Helping engineering students understand they are part of a global profession