College News

Congratulations to the college’s 2012
San Fernando Valley Engineers’ Council Awardees!

John J. Guarrera Engineering Educator of the Year Award
Dean S. K. Ramesh

Distinguished Engineering Educator Award
Professors Ali Amini and Ichiro Hashimoto

Outstanding Engineering Achievement Merit Award
Professors Sami Maalouf, Ronald W. Mehler, Abhijit Mukherjee, Ani Nahapetian, and George Youssef
Ramesh
Amini
Hashimoto
Maalouf
Mehler
Mukherjee
Nahapetian
Youssef

Tech Fest brings employers and prospective employees together

Twice a year, in September and February, employers seeking engineers and computer scientists converge on CSUN’s USU Northridge Center for Tech Fest, a hugely popular job fair where they can meet potential job candidates and spread the word about their companies. The event, which is put on by the campus’s Career Center, primarily targets students in the College of Engineering and Computer Science. It typically attracts 30 or so employers and at least 500 students, most of whom are interested in either internships or full-time jobs. In addition to opportunities to meet corporate recruiters at their booths, students may attend information sessions where employers present background about their companies and answer students’ questions.

Among the factors contributing to the success of Tech Fest, which became biannual in 2008, is the involvement of the college, says Sarah Le Long, the Career Center event coordinator and employment services staffer who organizes Tech Fest. CECS dean S. K. Ramesh always gives a welcoming talk, and “having that connection with the college brings in more employers,” Le Long says. “Employers want to work with the colleges.”

To ensure that students are prepared for the opportunity to interact with recruiters, the Career Center launched a series of workshops prior to the last spring’s Tech Fest, covering such basics as dressing professionally, resume writing and interview skills; students also had a chance to meet one on one with a human resources professional in their field. The consensus from employers and students alike after both the spring and fall 2012 events was that they were the most successful Tech Fests ever.

Fall 2012 Tech Fest