Checking in…. How are you doing?

[Andrea Strzelec]

MEES Students-

I just wanted to create a check-in discussion, so we can have a space to talk about how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting us – both personally and professionally.

For my part, I have adjusted ok to working from home. I have a home office setup in my basement and often worked in it anyway, so to some extent this was no big deal. I’ve been lucky that my local friends are all computer whiz types, who have hosted zoom parties and games to keep us in touch. I also have a dog (Lucy the black lab) who I walk twice a day – so I have kept some ‘normalcy’ in that.

However, I’m a pretty social person and have certainly gone through periods of restlessness – that have resulted in turning my hobbies into an obsession. I’ve been sewing fabric face masks to donate to hospitals and friends who need them (I’ve made more than 1000 at this point!) and I added to my garden this year (3->9 raised beds) – but I figure that those are pretty harmless obsessions. (And if any of you need face masks – please feel free to send me an email with your address.)

The university has started talking about furloughs – so we will be impacted along with all of the companies you work for. However, we will do our very best to make sure that you do not experience any interruptions in your classes or service from us.

Please feel free to drop a note and say how you are doing – we may be disperse, but we are still a MEES community/family and I think it is important that we all support each other at this time. I am very sad that we won’t get to celebrate graduation together or even socialize at Residency this year – but regardless, I’m still here for you.

Also, if there is anything that we at EPD can help you with – don’t hesitate to reach out.

Dr. Strzelec

[ROOD]

Eagerly awaiting the final class/semester of the program!  I’m on the short list of people approved to work from the dynamometer lab, which has helped me immensely with keeping a regular schedule and washing clothes other than pajamas.  That being said, Ford has suspended all discretionary spending, which includes tuition assistance.  They’re claiming it could be back on September 1st, which I’m assuming gives me about 24 hours to get a request in before classes start.  I’m preparing for the worst and expecting to pay out of pocket at this point, so pinching pennies where I can.  Looking forward to the birth of a daughter in September as well, so there’s lots happening this Fall…

 

[Andrea Strzelec]

That is SO exciting Geoff!! – a new daughter!! I’m so glad that you will have some major positive developments this Fall! Please share pics when she arrives! We could all use some good news!!

I hope you will really enjoy PSC – Dr. John Lahti is a UW graduate – he did his PhD with the late Prof. John Moskwa, who was an absolute genius with controls – look what he could get an engine to do: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ydJMhYbvLs&t=4s – talk about controls goals!

Many of my friends at Ford have transitioned to ‘permanently’ working from home, and are in fact in the process of cleaning out their offices to make this transition. So, I would say that you are lucky indeed to get to still access the place physically.

I highly encourage everyone to make sure to join the MEES LinkedIn group and follow UW-EPD on LinkedIn. This will be a time of turmoil – including in employment – and hopefully we will continue to see a strong tradition of Badgers helping Badgers – but you can’t help or be helped if you aren’t connected.

Stay Safe!

[Bartaszewicz]

I’ve been doing pretty well from home. My fiance and I bought a house in April and moved right in the middle of Covid which was a nightmare since we couldn’t get a moving truck or anything. I’ve got an office set up in one of the spare bedrooms and he’s in the basement. We’ve both been really fortunate to have not been furloughed. Things are starting to go feel normal which I’m not sure is better or worse. I’ve been able to start going into the office a couple times a week since June, at this point I usually go in once or twice a week with a supplier or plant visit another day. At FCA we’ve already been told not to expect to go back into the office until next year for most people, it’s very eery going into such a huge building with hardly any people.

I’ve been able to take all the free time I had from my commute and focus on wedding planning and my Covid garden. I have more herbs that I know what to do with at this point. The house has been keeping us busy, there’s lots of little projects going on. I’m happy that my group is still (virtually) social together, we have happy hour once every couple of weeks and get to see each other in the office depending on what’s going on.

 

Geoff – My fiance works at RIC at Ford and had to clean out his office. He’s in about 3 days a week and has to find a random desk to camp at for the day. He was able to take his pretty nice chair from his desk which was a fun perk. It seems like all of the Big 3 are headed in the same direction.

[ROOD]

The dyno lab is open 5 days a week.  I was going all week but my test cell is running reasonably well now so I’m usually only in for 3-4 days.  Fortunately I got to keep my desk, just have to put up with wearing a mask all day long, minor inconveniences.

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