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National Lab Day

Posted by John Hunter on May 12th, 2010 | No Comments »

Today, scientists, engineers, technologists, and mathematicians from across the country will team up with K–12 schools for project-based learning experiences for National Lab Day. National Lab Day is a long-term program/collaboration between STEM professionals and K–12 classroom teachers.

A coalition of educators, science and engineering associations, philanthropies and other organizations today announced the launch of National Lab Day, a new grassroots initiative designed to reinvigorate science and math education in the nation’s schools and after-school programs and lead to increased U.S. competitiveness.

President Obama applauded the education initiative and others in a speech at the White House. “Lifting American students from the middle to the top of the pack in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) achievement over the next decade will not be attained by government alone,” he said. “I applaud the substantial commitments made today by the leaders of companies, universities, foundations, non-profits and organizations representing millions of scientists, engineers and teachers from across the country.”

National Lab Day aims to inspire a wave of future innovators and foster U.S. competitiveness by improving the quality STEM education in America. A collaboration between government and more than 200 public and private-sector-organizations, National Lab Day will connect students in grades 6-12 to hands-on learning experiences and promote tinkering in laboratory settings.

National Lab Day will promote hands-on learning throughout the year and culminate each year with special events the first week of May. Volunteer science and technology professionals and educators will work together with students to improve America’s science labs and offer inquiry-based STEM experiences in classrooms, learning labs, and after-school programs.

“We wouldn’t
teach football from a textbook,” said John P. Holdren, President Obama’s science advisor. “It is even more important that America’s youth have the opportunity to learn math and science by doing. The President and I strongly support efforts to raise the level of project-based learning, to help cultivate the next generation of doers and makers.”

Jack D. Hidary, chairman of National Lab Day,
praised President Obama’s announcement. “Our children deserve a world class science and math education that includes exciting, hands-on lab experiences,” said Hidary. “Whether you are a Nobel-prize winning scientist, a Mythbusters fan, a tinkerer or a parent, you can help bring students the enjoyment of learning through real challenges.”

The National Lab Day website will automatically match volunteers to requests from educators to participate on the basis of geography and interests. The website also provides resources and ideas for hands-on learning experiments and invites the public to suggest new materials.
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Filed under Education, Society, The National Interest, Work | Tags: engineering, engineering education, k-12, science, Society

Jeanine Plummer, Impacting Tomorrow’s Engineers

Posted by Erin Steigerwalt on March 30th, 2010 | No Comments »

Photo courtesy of WPI’s Faculty Directory

“Jeanine Plummer has demonstrated a remarkable passion for teaching and mentoring students since she came to WPI {Worcester Polytechnic Institute}. It is particularly fitting that her remarkable efforts are in environmental engineering. She and her students are literally engineering a better future for the planet and its people, and her skill and leadership in working with students is outstanding…” said WPI’s senior vice president, John Orr.

Plummer became a faculty member of WPI in 1999, after having received a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Cornell University, and at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, a MS in Environmental Engineering and a PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering. During her studies, she received many fellowships and awards, including a fellowship from the National Science Foundation and the United Technologies Outstanding Graduate Woman in Engineering Award. She was honored with WPI’s Board of Trustees’ Award for Academic Advising in 2005 and the Board of Trustees’ Award for Outstanding Teaching in 2006. In 2007, she became director of WPI’s environmental engineering undergraduate program. In 2008 she was named the Massachusetts Professor of the Year.

ASEE’s Prism magazine celebrates Plummer and the accomplishments she has made thus far in her career. It recognizes her dedication to her students, as shown by her advisory of numerous students. Read more about Plummer and the impact that she is having on our future’s engineers here.

Filed under Education | Tags: ASEE, engineering education, university, women

Science and Engineering Indicators 2010

Posted by John Hunter on January 25th, 2010 | No Comments »

The National Science Board’s Science and Engineering Indicators 2010 gives a comprehensive picture of the rise of developing nations in Asia, with China as the main engine, and gradual erosion of U.S. leadership. Examples:

North America’s share of world R&D activity between 1996 and 2007 dropped from 40% to 35% and the European Union’s share from 31% to 28%. The Asia-Pacific share increased from 24% to 31% “even with Japan’s comparatively low growth.”

American multinationals are shifting the R&D they conduct overseas from Europe to emerging Asian markets, whose share grew from 5% in 1995 to 14% in 2006.

China’s domestically earned natural science and engineering doctorates have shot up more than tenfold since the early 1990s, approaching the number awarded in the United States.

The share of U.S. engineering doctorates awarded to temporary and permanent visa holders rose from 51% in 1999 to 68% in 2007. Nearly three-fourths of these foreign Ph.D recipients were from East Asia or India.

From 1995 to 2008, the U.S. and E.U.’s combined share of world scholarly articles dropped from 69% to 59%, while Asia’s expanded from 14% to 23%. Over the past 20 years, the number of engineering research articles in the United States has grown by less than 2% annually. China’s engineering article output grew by close to 16% annually.

The share of patents granted to U.S.-based inventions by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is shrinking, from 55% in 1995 to 49% in 2008. In 1997, 34% of high-value patents had U.S. inventors; by 2006, this had slipped to 30%.

Filed under Research, The National Interest | Tags: engineering education, NSF, The National Interest, university

University of Wisconsin Engineering Education Improvements

Posted by John Hunter on July 6th, 2009 | No Comments »

Joel Dresang of the Journal Sentinel explores the attempts by the University of Wisconsin to improve engineering education in Engineering Interest:

As industries and societies around the world face mind-boggling challenges involving such matters as infrastructure, medicine, information technology and energy, engineers are the workers trained to apply scientific knowledge to practical solutions, says Peercy, UW’s engineering dean.
…
The need for engineers is acute. They’re perennially on the most-wanted list in Manpower Inc.’s talent shortage surveys. Federal stimulus spending in such areas as energy technology and infrastructure should increase demand, Peercy said, and competition from emerging economies such as China and India is accelerating.

“We are so short on engineers in some disciplines in this country that my colleagues from industry in this country are telling me that they have to relocate offshore to get the workforce they need,” Peercy said in an interview.
…
The UW System Board of Regents approved an extra tuition charge of $700 a semester for engineering students to help the college offset higher costs of engineering instruction and to beef up staffing and enrollment. Peercy told the regents he’d boost undergraduate enrollment by 20% in five years. Already, in the first year, enrollment is up almost 8%, to 3,450 from 3,200.

Retooling curriculum: the college is integrating disciplines and broadening students’ exposure to other fields through team-teaching and more common coursework. It’s stressing experiential learning and entrepreneurial thinking through hands-on projects, competitions and student organizations such as Engineers Without Borders. It’s fostering more teamwork and communication.

Filed under Education, The Economy, The National Interest, Work | Tags: career, engineering education

Not Your Average Science Fair

Posted by Julie Dabrowski on May 22nd, 2009 | No Comments »

photos of student presenting their research at the fair. .

Last week, novice and experienced scientists alike flocked to Reno, Nevada to participate in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. This event is the largest of its kind, affording millions of high school students around the world the opportunity to compete for nearly $4 million in prizes and scholarships. These young scientific minds first enter their projects, which may be focused in one of 17 disciplines, in state and regional competitions. Of the winning participants, 1500 were chosen to showcase their projects at the 2009 exposition and to have their work judged by doctoral-level scientists and engineers. Over 500 of these participants received scholarships and prizes for their outstanding work, and the top three winners were each awarded a $50,000 scholarship by the Intel Foundation.

This year�s winning projects included development of a biosensor to detect the presence of contaminants in the water supplies of developing countries; the isolation of a gene that can be used to improve the intelligence of a worm and may someday aid in the prevention and treatment of mental disabilities in humans; and the classification of a complex evolutionary relationship between sweat bees and nematode worms. Past winning projects have focused on everything from hydrogen production to cancer research to �cracking the brazil nut effect.� Toppling the commonly-held belief that male students are more naturally inclined to excel in the sciences, the grand winners of this as well as last year�s competition have all been women.

photo of 2008 IISEF grand prize winners.

Clearly, the above are not your typical science fair projects, but neither are we discussing your typical high school students. These are some of the best and brightest young minds the world has to offer, and past winners have gone on to make substantial contributions to their respective scientific fields. But producing a winning project involves a great deal more than brains and in-depth research. The successful participants must gracefully combine many seemingly unrelated skills into one complete package � skills that include writing, statistics and public speaking, just to name a few. Participants learn that science is more than just research and analysis; rather, one�s methodology and purpose must be presented clearly and convincingly in order to be accepted by the scientific community and the general public. The process of completing a science fair project �yields mature, self-confident, skilled, and competitive young leaders who have career goals and the preparation, discipline, and drive to attain them.�

To learn more about entering the competition, becoming a judge, or just to see what else students have to offer, see the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair website.

Filed under Education, Future, Research | Tags: engineering, engineering education, k-12, science

Teamwork and Problem-solving Engineering Education Focus

Posted by John Hunter on March 23rd, 2009 | No Comments »

At Purdue, engineering looks to future
by Leah Jamieson, Dean of Engineering at Purdue University

A recent report from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching suggests that U.S. engineering schools need to change their curricula and teaching methods from an emphasis on theory to one that prepares students for a changing world filled with new and far-reaching challenges.

At Purdue University’s College of Engineering, we not only agree but are aggressively altering our engineering education format to address this very issue and share our model with others. The new model emphasizes problem-solving and teamwork across a wide range of expertise, from that of builders and designers to sociologists and communicators.

The importance of forward-looking training of engineers cannot be overestimated. These women and men will incorporate cutting-edge technology into products we depend on every day, from food to computers. They will build our roads and bridges. They will help design the cars and trucks we drive and help develop the energy sources that power them.

In November, we presented a new strategic plan to the university’s trustees that has as its No.1 goal producing engineers who are prepared to take leadership roles in responding to the global, technological, economic and societal challenges of the 21st century.

To accomplish that, we are revamping much of how we teach our future engineers, beginning with our first-year students during their first weeks on campus.

Last fall our School of Engineering Education opened the Ideas to Innovations Learning Laboratory, which takes first-year students out of a massive lecture hall and immerses them in the entire engineering design process. The five lab spaces — Design Studio, Innovation Studio, Rapid-Prototyping Studio, Fabrication and Artisan Laboratories, and Demonstration Studio — allow the students to take a problem from concept to completion.

Faculty work with students in the state-of-the-art lab designed specifically to promote critical thinking, problem solving, teamwork and a multidisciplinary approach. This lab is a role model for one of the keystones of Purdue President France C�rdova’s plans for student success: transforming huge, beginning lecture classes into more exciting learning experiences.

But the lab is just the start. The students who complete the first-year program will have a good foundation and an understanding of what is expected of them as engineers, what it means to be an engineer in the 21st century.
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Filed under Education | Tags: Education, engineering education

HP Grants Aim to Redesign Engineering Education

Posted by John Hunter on January 24th, 2009 | No Comments »

HP grants aim to redesign college engineering

Aiming to reinvent undergraduate computer science and engineering programs through the use of technology, Hewlett-Packard Co. (HP) is accepting proposals from colleges and universities for a new grant program called “HP Innovations in Education”–and more than $2.4 million in cash and equipment is available.

The company seeks proposals from two- or four-year colleges and universities that offer courses that lead to degrees in engineering, computer science, or information technology. Grant projects must explore the innovations that are possible where teaching, learning, and technology intersect within one of these three disciplines–with the ultimate goal of “re-imagining undergraduate engineering education,” HP says.
…
HP plans to award about 10 grants to public or qualified private colleges or universities in the United States. Each grant is valued at more than $240,000 in HP technology, cash, and professional development.

Apply: 2009 HP Innovations in Education grants for colleges & universities

Filed under Education | Tags: engineering education, funding, university

K-12 Engineering Education Programs

Posted by John Hunter on December 30th, 2008 | No Comments »

Celeste’s Top 11 List of K-12 Engineering Education Programs

1) Engineering the Future (EtF): Science, Technology, and the Design Process is a laboratory course for the first year of high school science, created to help a broad spectrum of students. EtF is a full-year lab course organized around four projects, each of which is divided into several tasks. The entire course can be implemented on a modest budget.

2) Engineering is Elementary – This project develops curricular materials in engineering and technology education for children in grades K-5 (www.mos.org). Educator support includes lesson plans, assessment materials, and professional development programs that tie into other major content areas, including science and language arts.

3) Project Lead the Way (PLTW) – is a non-profit organization that promotes engineering courses for middle (Gateway to Technology) and high school (Pathway to Engineering) students. The program formally partners with school districts, trains the instructors that will be teaching and implementing the curriculum, and acts as a bridge between educational institutions and private businesses.

Filed under Education | Tags: engineering education, k-12

FIRST in Kentucky

Posted by John Hunter on December 24th, 2008 | No Comments »

photo of Engineers of Tomorrow students building robots

photo from the Engineers of Tomorrow, Kentucky web site.

Science and Technology Celebrated in Oldham County (newspaper broke link so it has been removed):

In the early nineties, one man, an inventor by the name of Dean Kamen, set out to solve this problem. Dean founded, FIRST: For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology, an organization dedicated �To transform our culture by creating a world where science and technology are celebrated and where young people dream of becoming science and technology heroes.� FIRST’s pilot program began in 1992 with 28 teams from New Hampshire competing in one tournament, now the impact of FIRST in the 2009 season is projected to reach over 194,000 students through four different leagues, with competitions all over the world.

There is only one veteran high school FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) team in Kentucky. Fortunately, this year that statistic is changing. Two more Kentucky teams are gearing up to embark on their rookie season. One of these teams is team number 2783, Engineers of Tomorrow (EOT). They are located in Oldham County, Kentucky. EOT has been working since May on various machine shop projects that have helped them gain experience for their upcoming competition season. In November, they were awarded a $6,000 grant from NASA.

The 2009 FRC season will begin on January 3, when teams around the world receive a description of the challenge and a basic kit of parts that will be implemented into their robots. The game is an intense match between two alliances of three teams who work to complete a series of tasks on a playing field during 3 minute rounds. The robots used to compete have a weight limit of 120 pounds. The extreme challenge is that these robots must be designed, built, and tested in just six weeks before being shipped to the team’s regional competition location. In EOT’s case this location will be Purdue University.

Filed under Education, Future | Tags: engineering education, k-12, robots

UT-Austin Students Collaborate With Indian Counterparts on Third World E-learning

Posted by Dylan on August 25th, 2008 | No Comments »

Engineering Students at the University of Texas at Austin recently worked with students at a university in southwest India on the already well known One Laptop per Child program. Five Seniors in the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering (ECE) at UT-Austin collaborated together in two teams with five students at Amrita University in developing a prototypical solar charger for the computer, along with power management software, and in developing a low bandwidth e-learning system for delivering lectures to students in remote areas. The e-learning system will continue to be worked on in the coming year by a new team, while students who participated in the program last year credit it with helping improve communication and teamwork skills.

The senior design sequence is designed to help ensure that students graduating with an ECE degree are adequately prepared to enter an international workforce and become part of teams working on complex projects. This two-semester sequence teaches students skills such as risk and project management and allows them to explore professional-grade tools for capturing their designs and supporting the collaboration. In addition to the multi-institutional option, senior design projects can also be multi-disciplinary, leading, for example, to teams that blend EE and mechanical engineering students.

During the pilot offering of the multi-institutional senior design option, five students at UT and five students at Amrita University in southwest India divided into two cross-institutional teams. Both teams targeted the One Laptop Per Child platform. One team developed the prototype for a solar charger with power management software. The other team developed the prototype of a low-bandwidth e-learning system designed to deliver lectures to remote locations in third-world countries. A new multi-institutional team will continue work on the e-learning system during the 2008-2009 academic year. A participant in the pilot offering reports, “This project taught me how to deal with an international team. Dealing with the cultural, lingual, and time differences made me more confident and improved my communication skills. We got to know the people in India and became a wonderful team with great spirit and enthusiasm.”

Filed under Education, Global | Tags: appropriate technology, computer engineering, Electrical Engineering, engineering education, technology, undergraduate engineering projects

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