dlatimer

7:50am PDT, 15 December 2007
Female
8 Pounds, 3 ounces
19.75 inches

Baby and mother are resting comfortably.

Eloise has had a fun day visiting, thinks her new sister is grand, and is playing with reconnor.

Asking again if anyone here believes they qualify to take a short survey of mine to help with my thesis.

I'm looking for people who were involved in selecting a robotic system for purchase (off the shelf or custom design from a contractor). Specifically, I'm looking at the relative importance and effectiveness of the engineering methods that were used to inform the decisions about which robot to purchase/design. I'm not looking into development practices, but rather the practices on the customer side.

What is acquiring?
- Buying a robot for a research lab that will have to host several different experiments (however, the experiments themselves aren't what I'm looking for) - e.g. recommending to your advisor to buy a pioneer robot because it is within price and you think it will best serve the lab's research needs for the next few years.

- Worked as a customer's acquisition engineering consultant/staff, advising management on which robot to buy to meet an organizational goal - e.g. recommending to management which competing explosive ordinance disposal robot to buy based on a cost-benefit trade-off.

Formality of the "acquisition" isn't the issue. Basically, if you've provided technical input as to which robot someone should buy, then you've got experience relevant to the survey.

If you can take the survey, feel free to click here to take survey (URL is: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=jW_2fWTVeH0XHESbZzwy91YQ_3d_3d).

Survey results are anonymous to me (via SurveyMonkey functionality). You data will only be reported in aggregate with other respondents (anticipated minimum sample size is 20 respondents). No identifying information is collected (other than state/country, to see how wide the survey results cover) - no need to identify what project you were working on or what the specific requirements were.

Also, this week (through 11:59pm Pacific on 16-Dec-2007), after you complete the survey, you will be directed a secondary survey (in a different database) that will ask for your email address if you wish to enter a drawing for a 1 in 10 chance for a $15 Starbucks card. I'm going to draw 1 prize per 10 respondents (or fraction thereof) this week.

So, if you have a friend that bought a robot, another student who bought one or more robots for the lab, or similar things - encourage them to take the survey - then, if they win, see if you can get them to take you out for coffee.

Feel free to email or call me (or leave a comment here for me to contact you) if you have any questions.

LJ community, hear my prayer.

Well, not quite that bad. I've gotten all my approvals to do a survey and would like to see if anyone here believes they qualify to take a short survey of mine to help with my thesis.

I'm looking for people who were involved in selecting a robotic system for purchase (off the shelf or custom design from a contractor). Specifically, I'm looking at the relative importance and effectiveness of the engineering methods that were used to inform the decisions about which robot to purchase/design. I'm not looking into development practices, but rather the practices on the customer side.

What is acquiring?
- Buying a robot for a research lab that will have to host several different experiments (however, the experiments themselves aren't what I'm looking for) - e.g. recommending to your advisor to buy a pioneer robot because it is within price and you think it will best serve the lab's research needs for the next few years.

- Worked as a customer's acquisition engineering consultant/staff, advising management on which robot to buy to meet an organizational goal - e.g. recommending to management which competing explosive ordinance disposal robot to buy based on a cost-benefit trade-off.

Formality of the "acquisition" isn't the issue. Basically, if you've provided technical input as to which robot someone should buy, then you've got experience relevant to the survey.

If you can take the survey, feel free to click here to take survey.

Survey results are anonymous to me (via SurveyMonkey functionality). You data will only be reported in aggregate with other respondents (anticipated minimum sample size is 20 respondents). No identifying information is collected (other than state/country, to see how wide the survey results cover) - no need to identify what project you were working on or what the specific requirements were.

Feel free to email or call me (or leave a comment here for me to contact you) if you have any questions.

Officially, coffeebeast is 12 weeks along with our second child (see pictures here, first is the 9 week sonogram, second was taken yesterday showing some pouch for the baby). Still too early to be specific on the date other than "December 2007".

We're ecstatic. Eloise is going to be a big sister!

Now introducing...

PhD Candidate Latimer.

Yup, passed my qualification/dissertation proposal!

Wh00t!

Yesterday was a fairly big military day for me. My parents are in town, really to visit Eloise, but the ceremony made a convenient excuse. coffeebeast planned quite excellent receptions, one coffee and cake style immediately after the ceremony and a wine and tapas style in the evening.

( Air Force Commendation MedalCollapse )
( PromotionCollapse )

Just notified (phone, new member card, and congrats letter) of my elevation to Senior Member of the IEEE.

That and $3.75 will buy you a tall mocha frappachino at Starbucks. Just kidding.

7.6% of IEEE are Senior Members (another 2-ish % are Fellows or Honorary, the two higher grades) out of 365,000 members. I'm kinda surprised. Yeah, I did have to submit the background materials after being nominated, so I knew it was in the works.

Ms. Eva Podzimek, my local staff director, presented the following achievement medal to me. 1OLC = 1first oak leaf cluster, which indicates this is the first subsequent award (previous award here).


( citationCollapse )

12:27pm PST
Female
7 Pounds, 13 ounces
20.5 inches

Baby and mother are resting comfortably.

[Posted with hblogger 2.0 http://www.hexlet.com/]

Finally official, coffeebeast and I are having a baby.

Due date: around 5 April 2006

Synchronized posting!