Nathan H. Hurt Honorary Membership in ASME

Nathan H. Hurt Honorary Membership in ASME Nathan H. Hurt Honorary Membership in ASME Nathan H. Hurt Honorary Membership in ASMENathan Hurt grew up during the age when teenagers were modifying cars into hot rods, and he was right there among them. That hands-on experience modifying engines and carburetors, shaving heads down, and changing muffler and spring korechenschritt systems got him interested in doing more mechanical work. After initially working toward becoming a journeyman machinist, Hurt enlisted in the Navy, where his mechanical background was put to use in the back engine room of a destroyer.He earned his bachelors degree in mechanical engineering after leaving the Navy, and a job offer from the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. ledHurt on a 64-year career path devoted to managing the design, construction, and operation of chemical and nuclear facilities. Forty-seven of those years have been dedicated to the nuclear field.He is recognized by ASME with Honorary Membership for s ignificant contributions in the nuclear industry, particularly the field of uranium enrichment, and in the broader mechanical engineering profession as an active member and distinguished past president of ASME.Hurt began his career at Goodyear in 1947. During his 40 years with the company, he was involved in the construction and operation of plants for the production of polyvinyls, polyesters, rubber chemicals, and synthetic rubber. He held several engineering and plant management positions, and served as program director for the design, construction, and training of operating management for a synthetic rubber plant in Brazil for Petrobras, the Brazilian government-owned petroleum company. He also was assigned to programs in France and Luxembourg.When Goodyear formed a subsidiary, Goodyear Atomic Corp., to fulfill a contract with the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission for the operation of a new uranium enrichment facility,Hurt was manager of engineering during the facility design and con struction. Later he was deputy general manager and, subsequently, Goodyear Atomics president and general manager.After retiring from Goodyear in 1987, Hurt joined the Denver geschftszimmer of Los Alamos Technical Associates as director of marketing and projects. His responsibilities included managing an office in Oak Ridge, Tenn., and projects at several other U.S. Department of Energy nuclear sites. He later joined IDM Environmental Corp.s Oak Ridge office as vice president, Southeast region, and was responsible for the decontamination and demolition of facility projects at several DOE sites.Now a senior consultant, Hurt currently provides consulting services on uranium enrichment and radioactive cleanup to companies with DOE contracts. he also co-authored the chapter on uranium enrichment that was published in the Nuclear Engineering Handbook edited by Kenneth D. Kok (CRC Press, 2009).An ASME Fellow, Hurt has been a member of ASME since 1946. Initially a member of a Student Sectio n, he went on to serve as chair of the Management Division (1981), vice president of the General Engineering Group (1984-88), member of the Board of Governors (1988-90), and ASME president (1991-92). During his year of presidency, he promoted the awareness of contributions of engineers to society and stressed the importance of precollege preparation for entering the profession. Hurt continues to serve on the Committee of Past Presidents as well as the Committee on Organization and Rules and the Energy Committee. He received a Dedicated Service Award in 1994.He also is a Fellow of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, and a member of the American Nuclear Society and the American Society for Engineering Management. Hurt earned his bachelors degree in mechanical engineering at the University of Colorado, Boulder, in 1947.After initially working toward becoming a journeyman machinist, Hurt enlisted in the Navy, where his mechanical background was put to use in the back engine room of a destroyer.

How Introverts can Adapt to an Extroverted Workplace

How Introverts can Adapt to an Extroverted Workplace How Introverts can Adapt to an Extroverted Workplace Even when the economy is great it can be difficult to be picky about which jobs you do or dont accept, but one of the primary means of gaining career success is to find a job that best fits your personality. By definition, introverts prefer work that allows them to operate autonomously and in a calm setting. And while teamwork crops up in just about any job, introverts tend to work better when each member has clearly defined roles without the need for consensus building and mass brainstorming.A necessary strategy for introverts is the need to discover the aspects of a company that are most agreeable to the personality traits of the loner. No, you may not have the opportunity to sequester yourself from your coworkers or telecommute, but you can work to find ways to keep your energy going while keeping your performance up. Structure your day around periodic breaks where you can step away from the overstimulation of the office floor. Step outside for a few minutes, sit in the bathroom, or take your lunch break alone and away from your cubicle.While the everyday tasks and interactions inherent in your job contribute significantly to your daily energy drain, the after-hour social obligations may be some of the most trying situations for introverts. Of course it is important to be polite, maintain your network, and be friendly with your colleagues becoming over-committed with social activities can lead to feelings of unhappiness and being overwhelmed. Keep your goals for social events reasonable as well. You dont need to shake everyones hand, ask everyone about their kids, or show your face in every social circle. Just pick a spot with people youre most comfortable with and have a good time in a small group.Finally, remember that being an introvert means that you have access to valuable leadership and work traits. Introverts are often found to be persistent, f ocused, and driven to excel. Introversion is also often associated with heightened creativity and critical thinking skills. Dont be shy about your abilities. Use them to your advantage, embrace who you are, and dont be afraid to succeed on your own terms.

Personal finance is personal for a reason

Personal finance is personal for a reasonPersonal finance is personal for a reasonHave you ever noticed how conflicting personal finance advice is?Even financial experts cant seem to agree on the fruchtwein basic of topics such a debt, emergency funds, or homeownership. Why? Because personal finance is personal.There is no one size fits all solution. Of course, numbers are numbers. The math to get you where you want to be is what it is.But theres much more to it. If the math requires you to do things outside of your comfort zone, then the math likely wont work.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreSo whats a person to do? How do we line up who we are with the math? Thats a great question. Its one I hope we can answer by the end of the post.Lets get started.Good Debt vs. Bad DebtDave Ramsey, perhaps the most well-known financial expect alive today is adamantly opposed to debt of any ki nd. To King Dave (sorry, I couldnt help myself), there is no such thing as good debt even if that debt is used to buy a home or to pay for college.In this two minute video, Ramsey tells you why hes anti-debt, in typical Dave Ramsey style. If youre not familiar with him, youll know what I mean by the end of the video.But Robert Kiyosaki, the well-known author of the best selling book Rich Dad Poor Dad disagrees. He says the rich use good debt to grow their worth, and they invest in cash flowing assets using Other Peoples Money (OPM)- both the banks and investors. OPM is a fundamental concept of Rich Dad and a sign of high financial intelligence.Debt EliminationNot only do financial experts not agree on debt, but they cant even agree on how to best pay off your existing debts. The two most popular debt elimination strategies areThe Debt Stacking MethodThe Debt Snowball MethodThe Debt Stacking Method is the strategy of paying off your debt with the highest interest rates first. This is the preferred debt elimination strategy of personal finance guru, Clark Howard. He says if you have several (credit) cards, your first goal is to pay off the card with the highest interest rate. Pay more money toward that credit card and slightly less toward the other cards, until the card with highest-interest debt has a zero balance. Then you move onto the next card, and so on and so on.The Debt Snowball Method tells you to go after your debt with the lowest balance first. Dave Ramsey is a proponent of this method and so are the folks at NerdWallet, one of the largest personal finance websites on the internet. They believe that a system front-loaded with rewards can help keep you on track. Small victories up front keep you engaged.Paying off high-interest debt first is the smart move mathematically. But personal finance is more than a math equation. Emotions are involved and paying off the smallest balance debt first allows you to have a quick win. From a psychological standpoint , getting that win could be more beneficial to you, even if mathematically its the wrong move.Renting vs. Buying a Home (as an investment)Whether your rent or buy, your home is probably the largest expense in your budget. With so much money on the line, what do the experts have to say on the matter? That depends on who you ask.David Bach, author of The Latte Factor says if youre not prioritizing home ownership, youre making a costly mistake. He believes this is the biggest mistake Millennials are making. The most important advice I can tell you right now if youre young is Dont listen to these people that tell you should rent versus buy.Thats a very strong opinion. One that Jim Collins, author of The Simple Path to Wealth disagrees with. Collins argues that buying a home could be the worst investment ever constructed, any investment that ugly would make my skin crawl. In fact, Im not sure you could rightly call anything with those characteristics an investment at all.Conflicting Pers onal Finance AdviceDebt, debt elimination, and renting vs. buying are important financial topics that financial experts completely disagree on. The disagreements dont stop there. Look for advice on any number of financial topics and youll quickly find compelling, yet conflicting personal finance advice onHow to build an emergency fundUsing credit cardsEarning extra moneyBuying a carInvestingRetirementYes, even retirement is a source of conflict in the personal finance space. Im a fan of the FIRE Movement and am actively pursuing early retirement. And while I dont think everyone should pursue early retirement, everyone should pursue financial independence.I hope thats one financial goal that everyone can agree on, but someone will no doubt disagree on even that.Final thoughtsIf you spend enough time learning about personal finance then youre guaranteed to quickly run into differing opinions or outdated financial advice. When you do just remember that when it comes to personal finance , one size fits one.Dont let conflicting financial advice discourage youTake the advice that works best for your current situation and ignore the restUnderstand that what works for you today, might not work tomorrowBe willing to change your plan when you find a better way, or when circumstances changeDo all of this long enough and soon youll achieve your financial goals, but always remember that just because something works well for another person, doesnt mean it will work for you.A financial plan is like a toothbrush. Everybody needs one, but everybody needs their ownThis article first appeared on Money Mix.