Career

Career

Dietician

Tell them what to eat...

H

ectic job nature, long working hours, quick meals and junk food have become the order of the day. This stressful living and eating wrong has resulted in nothing more than obesity, hair loss, tiredness and many other health problems. Having realized, people are tracking for appointments with dieticians. With dieticians’ appointment diary filling up, discussing the career prospects of dietician would seem more relevant.

What does a dietician do? Dieticians plan food and nutrition programmes, and supervise the preparation and serving of meals for their clients. They help prevent and treat illnesses by promoting healthy eating habits, scientifically evaluating clients’ diets and suggesting modifications. 30

Dieticians run food service systems for institutions such as hospitals and schools, educate about proper eating habits and conduct research.

test new food products and equipment, and develop new recipes and menus for restaurants and businesses.

Dietician Job Description

If you enjoy working with people, you can plumb for a dietician’s job in a hospital, nursing home or special clinic where you will chart out individual diet plans for the patients. You may also choose to work with large institutional canteens like those in defence establishments, educational institutions, residential schools, factories, call centres or old age homes to oversee the quality of the bulkcooked meals. In health and fitness centres and spas you will treat obese clients or sports and fitness buffs and those with specific health problems. Star-rated hotels also have dieticians on their rolls to plan out meals for guests who have specific health problems in consultation with the chef.

Your typical duties as a dietician will vary according to your area of specialization: Clinical and management dietitians work in hospitals or nursing homes and are responsible for menu planning and overseeing the preparation of food. Community dietitians teach at-risk groups such as senior citizens, pregnant women and diabetics about which types of food to eat and which foods to avoid. Research dietitians study nutrition for commercial food companies. Consulting dietitians work in private practice and may counsel patients, ed matrix MAY 2008

Employment Opportunities

Career Courses in Dietetics are

You could even be working with NGOs and government agencies involved in educating specific segments of the population or in monitoring food and health programmes. Research is yet another option you could consider. International organizations like the UN, UNICEF and WHO as well as those that come under the ministry of Human Resource Development and institutes such as the National Institute of Nutrition also employ these professionals. Large packaged food manufacturers and food processing units also hire nutritionists and dieticians to advise them on development of new products. If you have a flair for writing, you could take a journalistic spin-off by writing on health and nutrition and suggesting innovative recipes and useful dietary tips with a focus on healthy and balanced eating. Most newspapers and magazines have separate health and fitness sections, which are very popular with readers. Similarly, almost all TV channels run popular health and fitness programmes which feature knowledgeable and articulate experts to discuss health issues and answer viewers’ queries. After you gain sufficient work experience, you may even consider setting up your own practice or work as a consultant to hospitals, clinics, sports teams, etc.

What it takes? Besides the requisite academic qualifications, it helps to have a scientific temper. That you must have a genuine interest in helping people with health and nutrition goes without saying. Good communication skills are equally essential, as you’ll have to convince and motivate your clients in simple layman’s terms. Dieticians are often involved in identifying and treating health ailments.

“You will treat obese clients, sports, fitness buffs and those with specific health problems.” Therefore, knowledge of prevention at every stage of growth and development and a background in metabolism and biochemistry of nutrients and food components are critical. They should be able to plan nutrition programs and supervise the preparation and serving of meals. Perhaps most importantly, dieticians should be patient, respectful and responsive to client’s needs. ed matrix MAY 2008

With a few exceptions, dietetics is studied only after a bachelor’s degree in any one of the following disciplines: home science, medicine, science (with chemistry, microbiology), hotel management and catering. Some universities offer postgraduate diploma courses in dietetics. Subjects taught in dietetics include chemistry, physics, nutrition and physiology. Dietician may be taken up as a specialization in home science at the Master’s degree level in many universities in the country. Delhi University, University of Mumbai / Madras also offer nutrition / health and nutrition as subjects at bachelor’s degree level.

Where to study? A number of universities offer a three year B. Sc/BA in Nutrition/Dietetics. These subjects are also offered as a post-graduate specialisation both at the degree (Masters in Home Sc/Applied Nutrition) as well as post-graduate diploma level. All India Institute of Hygiene & Public Health, 110 Chittaranjan Avenue, Kolkata 700073. www.wbuhs.org Avinashilingam Institute for Home Science & Higher Education for Women, Coimbatore 641043 (TN) Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar 143005. www.gnduonline.org National Institute of Nutrition, Jamia Osmania, Hyderabad 500007 (ICMR) www.ninindia.org Osmania University, Hyderabad (University College for Women, Koti) www. osmania.ac.in SNDT Women’s University, Mumbai 400020. www.sndt.edu University of Delhi, New Delhi 110001 www.du.ac.in University of Madras, Chennai 600005 www.mu.ac.in University of Mumbai, MG, Road, Fort, Mumbai 400032. www.mu.ac.in

Xavier Antony 31

C a r ee r

T

he notion of mechanical entities capable of intelligent thought and action is not new by any means. Originally presented in Karel Capek’s “Rossum’s Universal Robots” in the 1920’s, robots have since been a popular subject in literature and movies. Many films address the idea that robots can develop human-like qualities and “feel” emotions, so to speak. This idea of machines that feel has made for great fantasy, and continues to do so even today. Reality, however, is not nearly as exciting. Apart from the various technology demos by Sony and Honda featuring robots that mimic the movements of human beings, and the animals (Sony AIBO dog), most robots today are service-oriented machines which repeat mundane tasks over and over to save human labour in the realm of manufacturing. Industrial robots build many things requiring precision and strength not easily attained by human beings.

and conducting research. Robots are used in industries for speeding up the manufacturing process. They are also used in the field of nuclear science, sea-exploration, servicing of transmission electric signals, designing of bio-medical equipments etc. Robotics requires the application of computer integrated manufacturing, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, biological mechanics, software engineering and the like. Qualifications: In robotics, there are different areas of specialisation. Specialising in design and control in robotics is close to mechanical engineering. If you want to specialise

Robotics being an inter-disciplinary course, invites students who have completed their graduation in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, instrumentation engineering or computer engineering with an interest in robotics and artificial intelligence. Benefits: A course in Robotics trains and educates an individual in the following fields: Artificial Intelligence, Computer Aided Manufacturing, Computer Integrated Manufacturing System, Computational Geometry, Robot Motion Planning, Digital Electronics and Micro-processors Robot Manipulators.

Robotics

The Science of Robots

Tasks are pre-defined, automated, repetitive, and not remotely related to the fantastic robots found in literature, film, and other forms of entertainment. Robotics is all about designing these robots to perform the required task for human and it is slowly attaining popularity in India. Robotics is a field of engineering dealing with design and application of robots, using computer for their manipulation and processing. It is all about developing new applications 30

in control and hardware design of robots, a B.Tech degree in Electrical or Electronics or Electronics and Communication Engineering is the best-suited qualification. B.Tech Computer Engineers can look at hardware design in robotics. The control part of the robot deals with certain aspects of electrical engineering. ed matrix june 2008

Scope in India: In India, the interest in robots and robotics began during 1980s. Works on robotics began in advanced educational institutions and research centres such as the Indian Institutes of Technology, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, etc. Robots

C a r ee r

Most robots today are service-oriented machines which repeat mundane tasks over and over to save human labour in the realm of manufacturing. have been developed for welding, spray painting and radioactive fuel handling operations. There are also some very small nanometric-sized robots called nano-machines and some large ones like robonauts. All these are first generation robots and the second generation of robots, expected to arrive by 2015, would be truly versatile and intelligent as chimpanzees. Aspecialisation in robotics engineering will lead to potential job opportunities in manufacturing, research mining, nuclear power plant maintenance and variety of other areas. A trained robotics engineer can apply his/her mastery in diverse fields like modern warfare, surgery, nanotechnology, space-exploration, etc. A candidate having an M.E. degree in Robotics can get job opportunities in space research organisations like ISRO and also in industries

Institutes in India offering courses in Robotics : The Premier Institute in Robotics is the Centre for Robotics and Mechatronics at IIT (Indian Institute of Technology), Kanpur which offers a Master’s Degree Course in Robotics. The Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering & Computer Science Departments of the IIT’s offer courses in Computer Science with specialization in Artificial Intelligence, which is an integral part of Robotics. Robotics engineering can also be studied at IITs Mumbai, Madras, Delhi, Kanpur, Kharagpur and Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. Jadavpur University, Kolkata - 700 032 (West Bengal) (www.jadavpur.edu), offers ME Robotics. The University of Hyderabad offers M.Tech, Artificial Intelligence and Robotics. The University College of Engineering, under the Osmania University, Hyderabad, offers ME/M.Tech Automaton and Robotics. MS University, Baroda, conducts a Master’s programme with specialisation in automatic control and robotics. The Institute of Technology, under the Banaras Hindu University, conducts M.Tech. Production Engineering / Industrial Management Engineering with Robotics and Automation as electives. The Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology, Patiala - 147 004, (www.tiet.

ac.in) conducts ME in CAD / CAM and Robotics. The Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani - 333 031, offers ME in Computer Science with robotics as a subject. Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, Prasanthinilayam, offers M.Tech. Computer Science with specialisation in artificial intelligence. Artificial Intelligence is defined as the ability of an artificial mechanism to exhibit intelligent behaviour. It is closely associated with robotics. The PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore, conducts M.Tech. Mechanical with robotics as an elective subject. The SRM Institute of Science and Technology (Deemed University), SRM Nagar, Kattankulathur, Kancheepuram District - 603 203, Tamil Nadu (www. srmuniv.ac.in), offers M.Tech - Robotics. The Department of Electronics under the Cochin University of Science and Technology offers M.Sc. Electronic Science with specialisation in artificial intelligence, robotics, microwave electronics and computer technology. First class B.Sc. degree holders with not less than 60 per cent aggregate marks in Electronics, Computer Science or Physics (with electronics) are eligible for admission. Selection is based on CUSAT - CAT.

which manufacture microchips. Job opportunities also exist in Indian Institute of Technology for doing extensive research work in artificial intelligence. The Indian Institute of Chemical Biology also offers openings research fellowships in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence.

the premier research institute emphasising on humanoid robotics and computational neuroscience are also available. Companies like ‘Intel’ recruit robotics and artificial intelligence specialists for microchip manufacturing. The Robotics Industrial Association in North America provides job opportunities in robot manufacturing and maintenance systems integration. NASA is the ultimate job destination for those interested in applying robotics to space science. Remington 31

Scope Abroad: A Robotics Engineer can get employment opportunities abroad to program, troubleshoot and maintain robots in companies like Plastech in USA. Research fellowships as an intern with ATR, ed matrix june 2008

C a r ee r

Animation The Art of Movements Drawn Once you complete it, the (virtual) world is at your feet.

C

reativity, even in the very recent past, could not earn a person a decent monthly salary but now the scenario is completely different. In the booming market of cartoons and animations, one can easily satiate his creative spirits and take home a handsome pay packet. The art of animation, a creative field dominated by the West, now has India running as one of the most serious contenders. Animation is a type of optical illusion. It involves the appearance of motion caused by displaying still images one after another. Often, animation is used for entertainment purposes. In addition to its use for entertainment; animation is considered a form of art. It is often displayed and celebrated in film festivals the world over. It is also used for educational purposes; animation has a place in learning and instructional applications as well. Cartoon animation is often considered to be animation in its classic form. From the beginning, animation has been an important part of film history. Even before the invention of the motion picture camera, photographer Eadweard Muybridge used sequential photographs to analyze animal and human movement. Qualification For acquiring a diploma in animation, one has to pass the 12th standard examinations from any recognized board with a minimum of 45% marks. For the bachelor’s degree programme the same eligibility criterion is applicable, while for the PG program one must have a bachelor’s degree. Benefits: As the animation & multimedia industry is growing rapidly, pursuing a course in these fields can boost your career. Moreover, if you have a knack of drawing or creating characters it would help satisfy your creative spirits. The Animation program offers a unique learning experience that enables students to explore the production of animation projects and understand the full complexity of the animation process. One of the youngest of art/design disciplines, animation continues to develop in new and exciting ways. Scope in India: Animation in India has been a long way with Indian animations catering to the needs of several private and public sectors and

30

ed matrix july 2008

C a r ee r indigenously produced animated films constituting the bulk. Various T.V programs, advertisements / commercials and computer games are demanding a huge quantity of manpower from the Indian market. Animation is also being used in titling films, creating special effects or in web entertainment programs. Thus the scope for students of animation is huge in the context of the emerging Indian market. There are various courses on animation and cartoons offered in colleges all over the country. The major colleges are: • National Institute of Design ( NID, Ahmedabad) • J.J School of Arts.

Though cartoons and animations hardly seem to be products meant for outsourcing, yet Indian cartoonists and animators have begun working for foreign companies.

• Zee Institute of Creative Arts ( ZICA) • Industrial Design Center (IDC), IIT - Mumbai & Guwahati • Arena Multimedia • Pentamedia Animation courses are offered in almost 16 states in India. They train students in the fields like Multimedia Training, Support modern-day instructional technologies and teaching methods, enabling easy and efficient interaction between students and learning environment, Promoting creativity and enhancing the learning experience, Lending itself to change with evolving training needs and Facilitating state-of-theart Animation. Arena Animation Dilsukhnagar in Hyderabad hastened to master the nuances of Animation Training. The New Delhi-based Picasso Digital Media Private Limited has introduced a three-year degree programme – B.Sc. (Multimedia and Animation – Film and TV) in Visakhapatnam and Mumbai. Picasso Animation College is the India’s only Animation College with Full Time Canadian Experts. Animation courses help you to excel in areas like International Studio Quality Infrastructure, Project oriented approach, Short Animation Film by each student, Live Project / Industry Internship The animation and gaming industry had a bright future in India as there was a demand for 30,000 animators though the industry had only 20,000 animators in India. A 3D animator

could earn a minimum of 12,000 US dollars per minute of work from the present 2,000 US dollars being paid for 2D animators. While the industry grew at eight percent worldwide in India the growth had already touched 25 percent, he said. Another advantage of this course, conducted in association with Centennial College of Canada and Punjab Technical University, was that the students get trained by the international faculty, get Canadian certificate for their program, go for internship in an animation studio and get campus placements, he said. Academic advisor of the college, Canadabased Philip Edward Alexy, known for his animations in Star Wars, Casper, Angela and Anaconda, said the programme was much cheaper in India (Rs.5 lakhs for three years) as in Canada it would cost about Rs.12 lakhs. Another advantage of Indian students was that they were better in spoken and written English which could fetch market in North American animation industries when they gain experience, he added. Scope Abroad: Though cartoons and animations hardly seem to be products meant for outsourcing, yet Indian cartoonists and animators have begun working for foreign companies. Indeed, Indian companies are moving ahead of their South East Asian counterparts in the field of animation. But the application of animation in these fields ed matrix july 2008

in western countries is quite common, thus providing the Indian students with career opportunities. The western countries are favoring India over any other country for outsourcing animation because of the following reasons: • Vast base of English speaking manpower • Cost advantage • Abundance of well-equipped studios. 3D Animation is, of course, a fiercely competitive area to get involved in, so the Qantm course is designed to give a course which has an advantage over the many self-taught animators out there who have simply learnt from the manual. 3D Animation; Graphic Design, Games Design + Programing; Web Development and Game Audio courses beginning in September 2008 are taught in Qantm College London, UK. These animation courses cover both practical and conceptual topics. Real-world and hands-on projects are encouraged and close industry involvement ensures that the methods taught and software programs used are totally relevant and completely up to speed with what’s going on in the greater industry.Academy of art university in san Francisco designs for a limited number of students who want to take their talent and creativity and transform them into a viable profession, as well as wanting to acquire knowledge as a means of constructing the personal, professional and social project for their own lives. The animation training aims at achieving three basic objectives: knowledge of technologies, of materials and of design culture, the ability to understand the market and its requirements and the ability to communicate the qualities of design. This stimulates the students to acquire critical skills, the ability to operate independently, the responsibility to make decisions and the ability to relate to the client. Ralph Bakshi, an American director of animated and occasionally live-action films says, “What are most important in animation are the emotions and the ideas being portrayed. I’m a great believer of energy and emotion”.

Kalpana.E 31

C a r ee r

Environmental Engineering

being concerned with local and worldwide environmental issues such as the effects of acid rain, ozone depletion, water pollution and air pollution from automobile exhausts and industrial sources.

Educational licensing requirements

To become an environmental engineer, at least a Bachelor’s degree in engineering (usually civil or chemical, and more frequently environmental engineering) is required, usually followed by specialized training at the Master’s or Doctoral level. Unlike traditional Engineering disciplines like Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering or Chemical Engineering, Environmental Engineering evolved as a branch of Chemical and Civil Engineering over the past several decades to deal with increasingly complex environmental challenges. At many universities, Environmental Engineering programs follow either the Department of Civil Engineering or The Department of Chemical Engineering at Engineering faculties. Environmental “civil” engineers focus on hydrology, water resources management and water treatment plant design. Environmental “chemical” engineers, on the other hand, focus on environmental chemistry, advanced air and water treatment technologies and separation processes. Additionally, engineers are more frequently obtaining specialized training in law (J.D.) and are utilizing their technical expertise in the practices of Environmental engineering law.

E

nvironmental engineering is the application of science and engineering principles to improve the environment (air, water, and/or land resources), to provide healthy water, air, and land for human habitation and for other organisms, and to remediate polluted sites. Environmental engineering involves water and air pollution control, recycling, waste disposal, and public health issues as well as a knowledge of environmental engineering law. It also includes studies on the environmental impact of proposed construction projects.

30

Environmental engineers conduct hazardous-waste management studies to evaluate the significance of such hazards, advise on treatment and containment, and develop regulations to prevent mishaps. Environmental engineers conduct hazardous-waste management studies to evaluate the significance of such hazards, advise on treatment and containment, and develop regulations to prevent mishaps. Environmental engineers also design municipal water supply and industrial wastewater treatment systems as well as ed matrix august 2008

Most jurisdictions also impose licensing and registration requirements.

Development of environmental engineering Ever since people first recognized that their health and well-being were related to the quality of their environment, they have applied thoughtful principles to attempt to improve the quality of their environment. The ancient Harappan civilization utilized early sewers in some cities. The Romans constructed aqueducts to prevent drought and to create a clean, healthful water supply for the metropolis of Rome. In the 15th century, Bavaria created laws restricting the development and degradation of alpine country that constituted the region’s water supply. Modern environmental engineering began in London in the mid-19th century when

C a r ee r Briefly speaking, the main task of environmental engineering is to protect public health by protecting (from further degradation), preserving (the present condition of), and enhancing the environment.

Scope of environmental engineering Pollutants may be chemical, biological, thermal, radioactive, or even mechanical. Environmental engineering emphasizes several areas: process engineering, environmental chemistry, water and sewage treatment (sanitary engineering), waste reduction/management, and pollution prevention/cleanup. Environmental engineering is a synthesis of various disciplines, incorporating elements from the following:

Joseph Bazalgette designed the first major sewerage system that reduced the incidence of waterborne diseases such as cholera. The introduction of drinking water treatment and sewage treatment in industrialized countries reduced waterborne diseases from leading causes of death to rarities. In many cases, as societies grew, actions that were intended to achieve benefits for those societies had longer-term impacts which reduced other environmental qualities. One example is the widespread application of DDT to control agricultural pests in the years following World War II. While the agricultural benefits were outstanding and crop yields increased dramatically, thus reducing world hunger substantially, and malaria was controlled better than it ever had been, numerous species were brought to the verge of extinction due to the impact of the DDT on their reproductive cycles. The story of DDT as vividly told in Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring” is considered to be the birth of the modern environmental movement and the development of the modern field of “environmental engineering.” Conservation movements and laws restricting public actions that would harm the environment have been developed by various societies for millennia. Notable examples are the laws decreeing the construction of sewers in London and Paris in the 19th century and the creation of the U.S. national park system in the early 20th century.



• • • • • • • • •

Agricultural engineering Civil engineering Chemical engineering Public health Mechanical engineering Chemistry Biology Geology Ecology

Environmental engineering is the application of science and engineering principles to the environment. Some consider environmental engineering to include the development of sustainable processes. There are several divisions of the field of environmental engineering.

Environmental impact assessment and mitigation

In this division, engineers and scientists assess the impacts of a proposed project on environmental conditions. They apply scientific and engineering principles to evaluate if there are likely to be any adverse impacts to water quality, air quality, habitat quality, flora and fauna, agricultural capacity, traffic impacts, social impacts, ecological impacts, noise impacts, visual(landscape) impacts, etc. If impacts are expected, they then develop mitigation measures to limit or prevent such impacts. An example of a mitigation measure would be the creation of wetlands in a nearby location to mitigate the filling in of wetlands necessary for a road development if it is not possible to reroute the road. ed matrix august 2008

Key skills

Ability to think logically and to analyse and solve problems Good communication skills Willingness to deal with unidentified hazards Patient, organized and comfortable with detailed WORK

Some Institutes

College of Engineering ,Andhra University, Vishakhapatnam (www.andhrauniversity. info) Delhi College of Engineering New Delhi (www.dce.edu) L. D College of Engineering Ahmedabad (www.idceahd.org) The Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad (www.ismdhanbad.ac.in) Kolhapur Institute of technology’s College of Engineering ,Kolhapur(www.kitcoek.org) Sri Jayachamarejendra College of Engineering Visweswaraiah technology University, Mysore (www.sjce.ac.in) Indian Institute of technology ,New Delhi (www.iitd.ernet.in),Roorkee,(www.iitr. ernet.in)Chennai(www.iitm.ac.in)and Mubai(www.cese.iitb.ac.in) ThaparInstitute of Engineering Technology, Patiala(www.tiet.ac.in)

and

Institute Of Engineering and Tecnology , Lucknow University,Lucknow (www. ietlucknow.edu) Shri Gs.Institute Of Technology and Science,Indore(www.sgsits.ac.in)

Hot Location:

There is a great demand for these engineers to handle the current problem of pollution. Companies involved in recycling and waste management as well as consulting companies, mining, Oil and gas companies offer employment opportunities to environmental engineers. They may be recruited as analysts in Central Board .Moreover ,consultancy firms in foreign countries also recruit environmental engineers for various environment-related project.

Kalpana.E 31