UI Women in Engineering Day to Inspire and Challenge Future Vandals_University of Idaho[아이다호대학교,미국대학 입시설명회]
The University of Idaho College of Engineering will hold its annual Women in Engineering Day on Friday, Nov. 6, 2015. Women in Engineering Day is a one-day workshop for female high school students, grades 11-12, designed to introduce students to academic and career options in engineering and computer science.
Every year the college hosts approximately 100 students from across the region and state. Currently students are registered from schools as far south as Idaho Falls and as far west as Everett, Washington.
“We are looking forward to hosting this year’s group of young women,” said Joe Law, the college’s associate dean for undergraduates. “Women in Engineering Day is one of our most successful events, in the past two years 30 percent of the attendees have gone on to enroll at UI. The event gives us a great opportunity to show off the college and promote engineering through a fun, real-world design activity.”
Participants enjoy a full day of activities that expose them not only to the college and the University of Idaho, but to a host of engineering career paths. The real fun begins with a two-hour design challenge created by the UI student chapter of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE). SWE is a national organization that empowers women to succeed, advance and be recognized for their life-changing contributions and achievements as engineers and leaders. This year’s design task will involve designing, building and testing a balloon powered vehicle. Using fixed supplies, a limited budget and time constraints, students will have to build vehicles to withstand a real-world challenge scenario.
“I want the young women to gain a new perspective on engineering and leave inspired and excited by the field of engineering,” said Alyssa Ertel, junior chemical engineering student and president of the UI chapter of SWE. “Engineering is about so much more than math and physics: it’s also equal parts creativity, problem solving, and teamwork. Ultimately, the goal is for every young women that leaves to think that she can make a difference in the world through engineering, because every one of them can.”
Students will work in teams to come up with a balloon vehicle prototype. Engineering faculty and members of SWE will evaluate teams’ ability to work together, how effectively they deploy resources, the ability of the vehicle to complete goals and a final oral presentation on the design process. Teams will have the opportunity to win prizes and scholarships toward future undergraduate UI engineering education.
"I hope the students will learn about some of the processes and challenges associated with engineering projects and design,” said Karina Eyre, junior civil engineering student and vice president of the UI chapter of SWE. “Events like this are very important because it seems that so often young women are simply not aware of the potential opportunities out there and it is key that we give them the chance to experience what has the possibility of being an amazing career.”
New to this year’s event is a special guest appearance and keynote address by UI alumna Sophie Milam, “the first Vandal on Mars.” Milam, a UI mechanical engineering master’s graduate, spent eight months in a simulated Mars seclusion mission on Earth funded by NASA. She was also recently named to Forbes prestigious 30 under 30 list in science. Milam will meet with high school students and discuss her “Mars” experience and how it has influenced her thoughts on the critical role women play in the future of discovery and engineering.
