From the President: Leadership Dynamics (4/17/07) About one-tenth of ASME's membership resides outside the United States (in 138 countries), and ASME's global initiatives continue to push that growth both in professional and student participation. ASME has established ASME Asia Pacific, a limited liability company, which will enable the Society to further its global outreach in codes and standards, conformity assessment, continuing education, and other programs. It was operational in February 2007 and we're planning to open an office in Shanghai in the near future. In addition to our world headquarters in New York, ASME has offices in Washington, Atlanta, Houston, Brussels, and Beijing, and we are exploring opportunities in India to better support needs and challenges in that market as well. Terry Shoup Focused on improving the networking opportunities that engineers need today, the global character of the Society is clearly reflected in the drive to collaborate and partner. In this way, we can increase the effectiveness of the resources we use to support programs and activities. This approach also changes the leadership needs within the Society. This year's flagship training opportunity for ASME leadership met in Houston in March to focus on "Connecting Communities." It was an opportunity for us to look closely at how members are best served and what is working well among all the units-sections, divisions, institutes, and centers. The Leadership Training Conference (LTC) 2007 built on the suggestions from last year to devise workshops and group activities that create solutions or action plans to solve real-time membership challenges. It provided leaders an opportunity to share best practices, form partnerships with other units, and focus on critical issues important to the Society's success. To be sure, ASME leaders must be committed to build on these leadership challenges, to be accountable for program plans, and must continue to seek suitable partners for fruitful collaborations. Because of our leadership, ASME's future has never looked better. The LTC is key to enabling our leadership to be the best in the profession. At our leadership conference, we had excellent representation of our intended volunteer leadership team. Nearly half of the 249 delegates were new officers, and they represented 100 (of 219) sections, 32 (of 34) divisions, and representatives from all five sectors. Ninety percent had never been to an ASME leadership training conference before. Particularly successful this year were the poster presentations by each of the five ASME sectors, 25 (of 34) divisions, 2 (of 4) institutes, the research center, all 10 districts, the VOLT (Volunteer Orientation and Leadership Training) Academy, and the Young Engineers Correspondents. What added a special dynamic to this year's meeting was that 27 students and 13 members from the Young Engineers Community were invited, each selected from qualifying essays. With all this new energy, the group discussions were exciting. Definite progress was made in developing a sense of teamwork to facilitate communication and collaboration. For example, Drexel student Frank Barmes, one of the attendees, has contributed his comments to ASME Connections (www.asme.org/About/Connections/), sharing a brainstorming exercise on how to retain graduating engineering students. He challenges us to broaden the exercise, and I suggest using our Communities of Practice (http://cop.asme.org/) as a forum to do this, either in the Student Section Operations CoP or in one your own communities. Online volunteer resources continue to support the progress begun at the LTC and extend even to those officers who could not attend. The online leadership toolbox, ASME's career development series, and other VOLT Academy training resources are also augmented by Webcasts for individuals or groups. Watch for announcements on upcoming Webcasts on merit funding changes, for example, which are planned in the near future. The true test of our success is in how well we serve the needs of our members, the needs of the profession, and the needs of society in general. The single most important ingredient in meeting these needs is good leadership. The key to good leadership continues to be training and the connections we make. These dynamics of leadership and the changing nature of our profession challenge us to collaborate across ASME communities worldwide. — Terry Shoup ASME President 2006–2007 Microturbines and Small Engines to be Examined at ASME Turbo Expo 2007 in Montreal Microturbines and small engines will be covered in seven sessions within the technical program of ASME Turbo Expo 2007 in Montreal, Canada. In the sessions to run May 14–17, engineers and scientists will report on new research directions and experimentation in microturbine technology, as well as potential new uses for small engines in distributed generation markets. New uses for the microturbine, according to experts in the power business, will hinge on continuing improvements in component design, fuel utilization, and efficiency. William E. Lear, Ph.D., a researcher at the University of Florida, Gainesville, will chair of one of the sessions on microturbines at Turbo Expo. Lear’s session at the conference, Energy Market Opportunities for Microturbines, will include four presentations on technical innovations that could drive new applications and new market pathways for the microturbine. Lear and his colleagues at the University of Florida have designed and successfully tested a microturbine that generates electricity and provides cooling power in one compact system. “Our system has efficiency advantages because it utilizes the waste heat from electrical energy generation for refrigeration,” said Lear. The system, which also produces potable water, runs on conventional fossil fuels as well as biomass-produced fuels or hydrogen. Future applications might include remote military bases or emergency disaster sites. Lear believes the engine also could be the model for what the researcher calls “the power grid of the future” — compact 1 Mw energy systems running on locally produced biomass fuels and producing electricity along with other resources, while providing good efficiencies. He will present a paper on the University of Florida microturbine at Turbo Expo 2007. The conference, which will take place at the Palais des Congres, also will include technical sessions on structural dynamics, materials, diagnostics and instrumentation, and other topics – along with an exhibit of the latest products and services in the industry. For more information on the 2007 Turbo Expo, visit www.asmeconferences.org/TE07. The 2007 ASME Congress in Seattle to Focus on Industry The 2007 ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, which will include presentations aimed at engineers in industry, will be held Nov. 11–15, at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center in Seattle. The conference will bring together engineers and scientists from around the world to discuss and demonstrate advanced technologies in diverse fields ranging from manufacturing and thermodynamics to biomedical systems and micro devices. The International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, ASME’s largest conference, combines a technical program and exhibit of products, services, and technical publications used to aid the engineer in design, analysis, test monitoring and related tasks. The multidisciplinary program will intersperse papers on engineering research with content on design applications, product development, computer simulation, and other areas of interest and relevance to the engineering practitioner. Including 460 sessions and 26 technical tracks, the program also will cover areas and disciplines that are receiving heightened interest in the ever-changing global engineering profession, such as entrepreneurship, business management, and sustainable development. The International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition also will feature a design contest for college students and forum presenting advice and strategies for engineers in the early stages of their work and careers. Other highlights at the Congress include the Honors Assembly ceremony recognizing service and achievement in mechanical engineering. To learn more about the 2007 Congress, visit www.asmeconferences.org/congress07.

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