Tag Archives: Mechanical Engineering

Raba Kistner, Inc. announces Enterprise Quality Officer, Amanda S. Barber

By North SA Chamber Editor
Posted on by Email to a Friend

raba kistner logoGary Raba, D ENG, PE, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Raba Kistner, Inc., announced today that Amanda S. Barber has taken the position of Enterprise Quality Officer for the firm and its subsidiaries, including 14 offices across the state of Texas, Utah, Mexico and New York. Ms. Barber is responsible for the implementation and management of the firm’s Quality Management System (QMS) consistent with the baseline requirements defined within ISO 9001. The goal of the system is to achieve consistent and predictable outcomes across all services and all companies.

Amanda BarberAmanda comes to the firm with over 15 years of managing Quality Management Programs for the manufacturing and nuclear power industries. She has an extensive background in quality assurance systems and processes, including ISO 9001, quality auditing, environmental consulting, power generation and process engineering.

Ms. Barber has a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Louisiana Tech University, a B.A. in Chemistry, and is an ASQ Certified Quality Auditor.

About Raba Kistner, Inc.
Founded in 1968, Raba Kistner, Inc. is an Engineering News-Record “Top 500 Firm,” operating in ten different markets in Texas, Utah, New York and México. Headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, Raba Kistner provides program management, building envelope and roofing/waterproofing, environmental engineering and consulting, infrastructure engineering, geotechnical engineering and testing, construction materials engineering and testing, and pavement consulting.

St. Mary’s University unveils Mechanical Engineering Program

By North SA Chamber Editor
Posted on by Email to a Friend

StMarys_StackedLogo_WhiteSt. Mary’s University has established an undergraduate Mechanical Engineering program, which received Southern Association of Colleges and Schools approval in August.

St. Mary’s is one of two institutions in San Antonio to offer a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering. What makes the St. Mary’s offering unique is its Catholic, liberal arts emphasis that educates the whole person.

“I am pleased to see Mechanical Engineering, one of the oldest and most fundamental of engineering disciplines, come to St. Mary’s,” said Winston Erevelles, Ph.D., Dean of the School of Science, Engineering and Technology. “This program will allow us to serve the needs of a broad range of constituencies including the energy, biomedical manufacturing, aerospace, automotive, oil and gas, semiconductor and HVAC sectors that are critical to our region and the nation.”

Jobs for mechanical engineers are expected to increase 9 percent from 2010-2020, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, with a jump of 62 percent in biomedical engineering jobs.

Other signature features of the program are a required internship, a senior design project sponsored by industry, and preparation for the Fundamentals of Engineering exam – the first step toward becoming a licensed engineer. Unlike many other institutions, St. Mary’s houses its engineering disciplines in one synergistic department, allowing students and faculty to work together in multidisciplinary teams.

In designing the program, the School of Science, Engineering and Technology consulted with organizations including CPS Energy, Southwest Research Institute, Caterpillar, the National Renewable Energy Lab and the Air Force Center for Engineering and the Environment to learn what knowledge and skills they expect their employees to possess.

St. Mary’s also offers Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Software Engineering, Engineering Management and Engineering Science programs.

The Mechanical Engineering program is important to achieve the vision for the School of Science, Engineering and Technology and to foster excellence in STEM education – a vital part of the Gateway Strategic Plan, which calls for the University’s increased role as a partner in the region’s bright future, Erevelles said.

St. Mary’s University repeatedly has been nationally recognized for its commitment to service and community engagement. The Carnegie Foundation has given St. Mary’s its prestigious Community Engagement Classification, and St. Mary’s has received the Presidential Award from the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, the highest federal recognition for service in higher education. St. Mary’s University is a Catholic and Marianist university with a tradition of academic excellence.