Month: August 2023

Messick’s Equipment, a dealer for New Holland Agriculture (a brand of CNH Industrial) recently held an event in Pennsylvania where the Cedar Crest Future Farmers of America (FFA) Chapter was donated a cutting-edge Precision Agriculture education simulator. This donation comes as part of a joint venture between New Holland and Raven Industries to support agricultural education and promote understanding of precision technology among high school students.

“Both the students and teachers are excited to receive this display,” states Phil Haussener, agricultural education teacher at Cedar Crest High School. “Part of our plan is to use it in the final step of our Integrated Pest Management unit.”

The donation of the simulator designed by Raven Industries establishes a valuable connection between Cedar Crest students and Messick’s Equipment. As part of the official presentation, Cedar Crest FFA students had the opportunity to engage directly with industry professionals and gain insight into the practical applications of precision agriculture.

“The adoption rate of technology being used across farms of all sizes today is higher than ever,” says Mary Henry, Messick’s Corporate Sales Manager. “Creating an awareness of the career opportunities in precision technology is critical to farm dealerships and engaging with students early opens doors to a future in agriculture that these students may otherwise have not been exposed to. We are proud of Cedar Crest’s accomplishment in this competition that will allow them to gain hands-on experience.”

Messick’s Equipment has and continues to play a role in providing local students the opportunity to explore the latest New Holland equipment and technology offerings, and how they related to potential career pathways. The partnership between the program, students and Messick’s is a significant step in bridging the gap between classroom learning and real-world implementation.

“The technology that moves us forward will serve as an opportunity to face farm labor shortages head on, reduce expenses, help us gain efficiencies in production and land use, reduce machine downtime and provide even greater focus on environmental stewardship. Messick’s is excited to have a partner in New Holland that is dedicated to supporting programs that not only develop the technology, but train and support a new generation of leaders,” Henry says.

Cadence partners with The National Graduate Engineering Minorities (GEM) Consortium in support of students from underrepresented communities pursuing master’s and doctorate degrees in STEM. As part of our commitment to fostering a diverse pipeline of talent, we join other employer sponsors to help place more than 400 bright and talented young minds into roles across the United States, one of the largest fellowship classes in GEM’s 40-year history. 

This summer, we were excited to welcome three gifted PhD candidates studying computer engineering, electrical engineering, and computer information and science to the Cadence team. Throughout the course of their internships, they have had the opportunity to apply their field of study and explore new areas of interest while making meaningful contributions to solving technology’s greatest challenges. 

In addition to gaining industry experience, our GEM Fellows have had the chance to grow their professional networks by connecting with other interns, early career employees, and influential leaders through our new Career Catalyst program. Through this initiative, they were able to deepen their understanding of Cadence technology, including electronic design automation, computational software, and artificial intelligence. 

Each of our GEM interns brings unique ideas and perspectives, strengthening our innovation and One Cadence—One Team culture. We are inspired by their journeys and the impacts they have made, and we are looking forward to seeing what they achieve in their professional careers.

Get to know our GEM Fellows and hear what they had to say about their experiences:

Essien Taylor, Northwestern University 
After graduation, Essien plans to embark on a career in research and development, focusing on low-power computing. Additionally, he wants to apply the experience and resources gained from his GEM Fellowship to mentor other students from underrepresented communities who are working towards graduate degrees.

What do you hope to bring back to academic life from Cadence? 
Interning at Cadence has helped me better understand the technology industry. I hope to bring a working understanding of the Cadence toolset back to my academic life. I had some experience using Cadence tools such as Genus Synthesis Solution previously, but getting the opportunity to work with engineers who use these tools every day has increased my proficiency with the entire portfolio.

How has being a GEM Fellow impacted you? 
Being a GEM Fellow has brought me into a network of intelligent and diverse students, all with the same goal of achieving a graduate degree in STEM. I believe that one of the most important components to success is having a community to support you. As a GEM Fellow, I now have a community of hundreds that I can benefit from and contribute to myself.

Gerald Whitters, University of Pennsylvania 
Currently pursuing his PhD in computer and information science, Gerald returned to academia through the Community College of Philadelphia’s Gateway to College program. Through this initiative, he was able to earn his high school diploma as well as associate degrees in computer science and math, simultaneously.

What are your plans post-graduation? 
After graduation, I want to explore working in industry for some time. My long-term plans post-graduation are to attain a university faculty position. I wish to work in academia so that I can continue to do research as well as maintain the freedom to explore the research topics that most interest me.

How has being a GEM Fellow impacted you? 
Being a GEM Fellow has given me the opportunity to intern at Cadence, continue learning, and gain further experience in the computer science field. Additionally, funding from the fellowship will help with the costs of attending conferences and research technology over the next two years.

Stuart Wodzro, Georgia Institute of Technology  
Stuart was drawn to an internship with Cadence due to his desire to establish a foothold in the semiconductor industry. Passionate about the driving forces and end-to-end processes behind the development and capabilities of technology, Stuart’s previous experience with NASA accelerated him through this summer’s program.

Which of technology’s challenges do you hope to solve during your career? 
Creativity arises from the most seemingly limited situations, and with Moore’s Law slowing down, I think it presents itself as an excellent canvas for researchers and engineers to continue progressing in the semiconductor industry. During this phase, I believe we will witness the evolution and obsolescence of certain materials, devices, and systems in pursuit of something better—and I think that’s where the fun really begins!

How has being a GEM Fellow impacted you? 
As a GEM Fellow, I’ve gained additional self-assurance. Experiencing the fruits of my labor is one thing, but having the backing of an organization to invest in my academic, professional, and personal life elevates the experience further. Now, I have an additional stipend, conference networking opportunities, and valuable work experience to develop a professional background.

Originally published on DICK’S Sporting Goods Sideline Report

100 participants. 24 hours. 16 innovative ideas.

In late July, technology teammates (employees) at DICK’S Sporting Goods huddled together during the company’s fourth annual Hackathon.

In 2018, the DSG Tech team kicked off a product transformation to change the way they think about the tech they build. “We moved away from working on projects to the working within a product model,” said Erika Green, product manager in Technology Product Management. “The product model lets us try out different approaches, get creative and really focus on what works best for our athletes (customers) and teammates. It’s all about finding the right solutions that fit their needs while keeping things fresh and innovative.”

That same product transformation led to the first-ever DICK’S Hackathon. “We wanted to inspire our teammates to get out of their comfort zones and see what they could do,” Green said.

Rob Brown, senior engineering manager of the DSG Tech Innovation Team, has organized the hackathons since 2021. “Hackathons make space for innovation while encouraging teammates to be brave and bold and to follow their ideas,” said Brown.

This year, 16 teams had three business days to design a prototype that could positively impact athletes and teammates. Each team developed a business case, pitch and working proof of concept. DICK’S experts in product, engineering, architecture and design judged the concepts on four criteria: innovation, business value, solution feasibility and athlete/teammate experience.

All 16 teams delivered working prototypes. “In a public hackathon, the success rate is typically around 35%. For the past three years, we’ve had 100% of our teams complete their projects in the allotted time,” said Brown. “It shows how incredibly talented our teammates are here at DICK’S.”

The 2023 hackathon winners developed “ChatDSG,” a GPT chatbot to assist store teammates with providing a more personable experience for athletes. “ChatDSG” would allow teammates to pull up an athlete’s profile by simply entering their phone number. The teammate could then type in “why you’re here,” and the app would recommend products and offer pro tips.

“I’m humbled that we stood out in the crowd,” said William Harms, a member of the winning team. “We have the power to make a real difference, and in doing so, we find meaningful growth within ourselves.”

While awards only went to the top four teams, the DSG Tech Innovation Team will look closer at all 16 concepts to potentially move them forward. “We look at their engineering and business feasibilities,” said Scott Almes, senior product manager of Technology Product Management. “Then if there’s interest in the business to support it, we look at the possibility of building out the prototypes further and taking them to some sort of testing.”

“This is absolutely one of my favorite events that we do,” said Vlad Rak, executive vice president, chief technology officer. He spoke to participants during the virtual awards ceremony. Rak said he took part in several hackathons in his career, but the creations are not what he remembers most. “I remember the thrill, pressure and special bond you develop with your team,” Rak said.

The DSG Tech team said plans are already in the works for next year’s hackathon.

Interested in learning more about a career in technology at DICK’S Sporting Goods? Visit our technology career site here.