By JULIE MILLER

Staff Writer

Public speaking can be a nightmare for some students, which is why the director of the Institute for Micromanufacturing encourages students, faculty and staff members to attend the quarterly All-IFM meeting.

Dr. Kody Varahramyan, director of the IFM and the associate dean of research and graduate studies in the College of Engineering and Science, said the idea of the meeting began two years ago.

"The whole spirit of it, when we first decided to have it, was that we wanted it on a quarterly basis where everyone comes together and listens to a speaker," Varahramyan said. "It's a good way to learn outside of the classroom."

Friday's featured guest speaker was Dr. Dick Greenwood, an assistant professor of physics and director of the Center for Applied Physics Studies. He presented a power-point presentation on the Center's experiment projects, which included "Particle Physics Program," "Remote Analysis with Linux Cluster" and "Detector Technology Development."

"We apply physics to applications that everybody needs," he said during his presentation.

Meeting participants were eager to raise their hands and ask questions throughout the presentation.

Varahramyan said during each meeting, the IFM honors one graduate student, one doctoral student and one staff member for the quarter.

Amitha Govindaraju, a graduate student of engineering, won the award for outstanding graduate student; Karen Xu, a research associate, won the award for outstanding staff member; and Yajun Tang, a graduate student of engineering, won the award for outstanding doctoral student.

Tang presented a 5-minute presentation on his research about a microcantilever, a sensor that can be used to detect chemical and biological agents.

"This is very important after 9/11 for anti-terrorism," Tang said in an interview before he presented his work.

Tang said this past week has been an unofficial presentation week for him.

"I used to be very nervous and would panic about speaking in public," he said. "I've been in this program for years and have gotten used to that. I think I'm getting better."

Tang said he thinks these quarterly meetings benefit everyone involved.

"We learn a lot from these meetings," he said. "The IFM administration can update about the program and get to know students better. It's also beneficial about future careers because you get a lot of practice and training in public speaking."

Varahramyan said it is informative and good practice for the students to stand up in front of large audiences.

"This is great experience for our students," he said.

The IFM incorporates disciplines from all areas of science and engineering, Varahramyan said.

"With the various engineering and sciences working with each other, something powerful happens," he said.

Varahramyan added people from other areas of campus can also come and get a feel for micromanufacturing.

He said the quarterly meetings are open to anyone who wants to attend.