FIRST Technical Challenge Returning to NEIT in 2009

New England Tech, for the third year in a row, has been selected as the FIRST Technical Challenge Affiliate Partner for the FIRST Technical Challenge.  The state-wide contest, featuring the game “Face Off”, will be held at the NEIT Automotive Technology Center on Saturday March 7th from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.  Thirty-nine high school teams and over 300 high school students will be testing their real world application of science and math concepts.  Over 70 industry representatives from technical companies throughout RI and nearby Massachusetts as well as NEIT employees will volunteer for the day to help determine which teams earn the opportunity to go to the World Championship in Atlanta, GA in April. For more information on FIRST in RI go to www.oceanstaterobotics.com. For more information about volunteering, please contact Erin Flynn in Admissions at eflynn@neit.edu.

Globe Hopping……………

As New England Tech continues to grow, so does its International Admissions Department. This past fall and so far this winter, NEIT’s Director of International Admissions, Mark Seltzer, visited St. Lucia, Bermuda, the Virgin Islands (where he got caught in hurricane Omar), the Bahamas, and the Cayman Islands.

With Mark’s participation in articulation agreements, college fairs, high school tours, ministry visits and industry relations, NEIT is making its mark internationally. Plans for the future will bring NEIT to all corners of the globe as we continue to bring a diversified student body to NEIT.

Surgical Tech Grad Making a Difference

Laura Sousa completed her Associate in Science degree in Surgical Technology in March 2008.  Soon thereafter, she began working at Saint Anne’s hospital in Fall River, MA as an OR Tech and hasn’t stopped on her career path to success. In addition, she has involved herself with organizations working to better the field of surgical technology.

Most recently, she was elected to the Mass State Assembly of Association of Surgical Technologists (MSA-AST) at the annual AST meeting in September.  This organization is representing the surgical technologists in Massachusetts and trying to pass legislation that would make it mandatory for all new surgical techs to obtain certification to perform the surgical technology duties in the operating room. 

Laura has also been appointed secretary for the General Assembly of Public Affairs (GAPA) for the AST Mass chapter.  GAPA is also responsible for the above mentioned legislation and is in contact with state senators and representatives as well as hospital organizations and officials to explain the bill the organization wants to pass.  Laura sits on the committee planning the next AST annual meeting, which she hopes to hold at New England Tech.

Along with her work at the legislative level, Laura is involved with a recycling program that Saint Anne's hospital participates in called Sterilmed.  She is very happy to participate in this program because not only does it help save the hospital tens of thousands of dollars per year, but it also helps clean the environment by preventing disposable single-use medical devices from ending up in landfills.  Laura stated that this system is in use in 70% of hospitals and generates over $150 million in cost savings annually for hospitals and also eliminates 2,000 tons of waste each year. 

NEIT wishes Laura continued success!