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1. Family Engineering Inspires Students (and Mom and Dad) |
by Dennis Walikainen, senior editor
The full professor has come full circle.
Neil Hutzler, professor of civil and environmental engineering, has published broadly, advised numerous PhD students and performed research for more than three decades. Now, he is using his expertise to develop new engineers a couple of generations younger than he.
Toward that end, he has fashioned the Family Engineering program with Joan Chadde, K-12 education and outreach coordinator for Tech’s Center for Science and Environmental Outreach, along with the Foundation for Family Science, the American Society for Engineering Education and the Boston Museum of Science.
Supported by NSF, the program helps families work together to discover what engineering is, how to solve engineering problems and hopefully inspire some youngsters to pursue education and careers in engineering. Typically, families gather at schools in the evenings to do hands-on engineering activities being developed by the Family Engineering team.
"It’s been a lot of fun," Hutzler says, after first wondering if he should get involved with youngsters as he nears the end of his career. "Joan and I have put on eight family engineering programs in the past six months, and it’s great to see families working together, learning about, and enjoying solving engineering problems."
The sessions involve a dozen or so activities, like "Are You an Engineer?"--where participants are asked if they have played with Legos (mechanical), or created concoctions (chemical), "until everyone has raised their hand at least once," Hutzler says.
Other activities reveal nature's inspiration for modern engineering marvels: the common burdock burrs begat Velcro; the octopus, the suction cup; the kingfisher, bullet-train design, and more.
Moms, dads and kids build cantilevers with dominos, discover laminates' strength with note cards ("Glue is the Clue") and create towers of spaghetti and marshmallows that can withstand strong winds.
"We have them reverse-engineer a retractable ballpoint pen," Hutzler says. "First, they put it together alone and then they put it together using an assembly-line process, timing the difference between the two."
The need for the program certainly exists, according to Hutzler. Recent research has revealed that:
* Eighty-five percent of students aged 8–17 are not interested in a engineering career.
* Only 20 percent of parents have or will encourage their children to consider an engineering career.
* Universities in the United States had 11 percent fewer engineering graduates in 2005 than in 1985.
* High-tech companies have been issuing the "crisis warning" about engineering shortages for at least two decades.
Given this scenario, parents are vitally important to students' attitudes towards--and success with--science and math and the careers that come from studying them.
Hoping to change that, the three-year Family Engineering program has completed pilot testing and launched a website:
www.familyengineering.org .
The Family Engineering program is an outgrowth of the Center for Science and Environmental Outreach’s Family Science Night, which began in 1997 and reaches more than 2,000 elementary students and parents at more than fifteen events held each year all over the western UP.
"Joan and I thought, 'Why not a family engineering program' that capitalizes on Tech's engineering expertise?” explains Hutzler.
The sessions are normally held in the evening, and the local activities involve Tech students and have attracted as many as 200 schoolchildren. The first pilot programs last spring also were tested in North Carolina, Oregon and Lower Michigan, some targeting underrepresented students.
More than 60 activities have been created. "Some of the activities have been through four iterations; some we threw out; sometimes we thought up new ones like 'Cleaning Up the Yuck' and 'Hot Chocolate Machine,'" Hutzler says.
The next step in 2010, he adds, is professional development and volunteer training, so facilitators can host the events without supervision from Tech or fellow sponsors. This will ensure that the directions in the guidebooks are clear. Also, evaluators from Western Michigan University will assess how the programs are going, looking at evaluations.
Publication of the Family Engineering Activity Guide is planned for Spring 2011, and the good word about engineering will be spread to parents and future engineers via this new network of trained volunteers.
"It seems to be working," Hutzler says. "Everyone who attends said they would recommend it to a friend. It has to be fun to keep them engaged after a day at school or work, and they are surprised with the way they figure things out."
Hutzler acknowledged that it would be hard to track the overall impact of the program, "but if NSF wants to give us a ten-year grant to find out . . ." |
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2. On the Road |
Faculty and students from the College of Engineering participated in the annual IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Conference Sept. 2-6 in Minneapolis.
Graduate student Sheng Hu and Professor Jindong Tan (ECE) presented a poster, "BioLogger: A Wireless Physiological Sensing and Logging System with Applications in Poultry Science."
Professor Keat Ghee Ong (Biomedical Engineering) presented a talk, "Wireless, Magnetic-based Sensors for Biomedical Applications," and he cochaired a session on "Magnetic Sensors."
Graduate student Edwar Romero (MEEM) presented a poster, "The Use of Body Motion for Powering Biomedical Devices," which was coauthored by Robert Warrington (IIS) and Michael Neuman (Biomedical Engineering).
Neuman also was a member of a panel of editors in a special session, and he gave a talk, "The Backbones of a Scientific Publication," in a session designed for students attending the conference. |
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3. Reminder: Bus Service for Parade of Nations |
Need a ride on Saturday for the festivities?
Houghton Motor Transit will provide service from the Memorial Union to Hancock:
First bus: 9 a.m.
Last bus: 10:15 a.m.
Need a ride to the Dee Stadium?
Call 482-6092.
There will be service from 1 to 4 p.m.
Courtesy shuttle only for residents of Houghton. |
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4. Reminder: Staff Council Meeting |
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Staff Council will hold its annual open meeting on noon, Thursday, Sept. 17, in Memorial Union Ballroom B1. All staff are invited to attend. Come see what your Staff Council can do for you! |
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5. Ryder Cup Date Changed |
The date of the Ryder Cup at the Portage Lake Golf Course has been changed to Sunday, Sept. 20.
It is a two-person, men and women, 18-hole event. There will be a registration at noon and a shotgun start at 1 p.m.
Cost is $40 for nonmembers, $30 for students, and $20 for members.
The event will feature door prizes, skins, a 50/50 raffle, and, afterwards, a meal--all included in the entry fee.
Applications are at the desk in the Pro Shop.
For more information, call 487-2641. |
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6. Help Students Win National Scholarships |
The Center for Teaching, Learning, and Faculty Development is conducting a workshop on helping students win national scholarships. The session will be from noon to 12:55 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 24.
Lunch will be provided to those who register by Monday, Sept. 21.
The location of the session will be announced as people sign up.
Faculty members are encouraged to attend because they play a critical role in encouraging students to pursue these life-changing opportunities.
Presenting the seminar will be Mary Durfee, advisor for nationally competitive scholarships, and Jodi Lehman, advisor for NSF graduate fellowships.
Faculty will gain information they need to identify and effectively support their top candidates for a major fellowship opportunity.
To register for this workshop, contact the center at 487-2046 or on the registration website: http://www.admin.mtu.edu/ctlfd/workshops .
The deadline for registering is Monday, Sept. 21.
For more information, contact Nancy Seely at 487-2046 or at nsseely@mtu.edu . |
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7. New Funding |
David Nitz (Physics) received $102,900 from Colorado State University for a three-year project, "Northern Hemisphere Pierre Auger Observatory in Colorado."
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8. Staff Job Postings |
Staff job descriptions are available in Human Resources or at http://www.admin.mtu.edu/hro/postings . For more information regarding staff positions, call 487-2280 or email jobs@mtu.edu .
Faculty job descriptions can be found at www.admin.mtu.edu/hro/facpers/facvac.htm . For more information regarding faculty positions, contact the academic department in which the position is posted.
Staff Job Posting 09/16/09
Director, Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts
Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts
Food Service Helper
Memorial Union Building
AFSCME internal and external posting
(Temporary, part-time, no base)
Food Service Helper
Wadsworth Hall
AFSCME internal and external posting
(Temporary, part-time, no base)
Michigan Technological University is an equal opportunity educational institution/equal opportunity employer.
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9. Giveaways |
The SDC has one executive desk 36"x60" available. Contact Lois at 487-2578 or lsedar@mtu.edu before Sept. 25.
The following items are available at the Sands Building (just south of campus).
Thelco GCA Oven (no Tech tag)
Fisher Scientific FS140 waterbath (Tag number 83981)
Perkin Elmer Thermal Cycler (Tag number 76255)
Precision Water Bath (Tag number 82941)
Hybridization Station System HS400 (Tag number 100946)
The items will be available through Friday, Sept. 18. To view them, contact John Forsman at 487-2890.
University property may only be transferred between departments; it may not be given or sold to individuals. |
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