Students RISE to the challenge at Rowan Engineering
Students RISE to the challenge at Rowan Engineering
July 25, 2011
Under a scorching July sun, a team of high school students cheered
loudly as the soda-bottle rocket they designed soared over the
Rowan College of Engineering grounds.
Rather than basking in their success, however, the students returned to the lab to find ways to optimize their design and improve their results.
Although the students are still in high school, they already were learning one major task of engineers — testing and refining to make the best even better.
Opportunities for H.S. students
The activity was just one of many offered during the College’s RISE (Rowan’s Introduction for Students to Engineering) program, which is designed to expose high school students to opportunities awaiting them in engineering. The three-day campus program drew 50 students and featured laboratory clinics, engineering activities, campus and industry tours and mentoring by College of Engineering professors and students. The program was sponsored by PSEG Nuclear of Hancocks Bridge, which also provided sling bags for the students. RISE is one of Rowan’s many programs for K-12 students and educators.
As students worked to refine their rockets in the lab, Dr. Krishan Bhatia, associate professor of mechanical engineering, explained that the activity helps students understand that every engineering problem has multiple variables.
“I’m trying to show them how far they can go if they just take experiments and really try to get the most information out of each experiment they do,” Bhatia said.
Several doors away, pairs of high school students huddled over boxes of LEGO® MINDSTORMS® components, working to devise programmable robotic vehicles.
“My hope is that the activity convinces some of these students that robotics is something they can do, take an interest in and actually accomplish…. It’s not just for computer science geniuses,” said Dr. Eric Constans, Mechanical Engineering chair.
Important experiences
Hands-on experiences like these are especially important to students considering pursuing engineering, said keynote speaker Jamie Ginn, 2004 alumna and chemical engineer in Engineering Evaluations & Sustainability, DuPont Engineering, Wilmington.
“It’s difficult for some people to understand what engineers do, so I think it helps inspire students to want to get into engineering when they can see concepts and ideas turn into real products that we use every day,” she said.
The event helped solidify plans for Bridgeton High School student Matthew Jacobs III, 16, who hopes to pursue mechanical engineering.
“This is exactly what I want to be doing, and it also makes me want to come to Rowan,” he said.
Brian Stomel, 16, of Cherry Hill East High School agreed.
‘I’m pretty sure that I want to do electrical and computer engineering, and this program has helped to confirm that for me,” he said.
Such events ultimately not only benefit students but industry as well.
“It helps industry because we want the best and the brightest engineering graduates to work in the field,” Ginn said. “Ultimately you not only want to attract talent, you want good, passionate, talented employees who will stay with your company and be part of your overall mission.”
Rather than basking in their success, however, the students returned to the lab to find ways to optimize their design and improve their results.
Although the students are still in high school, they already were learning one major task of engineers — testing and refining to make the best even better.
Opportunities for H.S. students
The activity was just one of many offered during the College’s RISE (Rowan’s Introduction for Students to Engineering) program, which is designed to expose high school students to opportunities awaiting them in engineering. The three-day campus program drew 50 students and featured laboratory clinics, engineering activities, campus and industry tours and mentoring by College of Engineering professors and students. The program was sponsored by PSEG Nuclear of Hancocks Bridge, which also provided sling bags for the students. RISE is one of Rowan’s many programs for K-12 students and educators.
As students worked to refine their rockets in the lab, Dr. Krishan Bhatia, associate professor of mechanical engineering, explained that the activity helps students understand that every engineering problem has multiple variables.
“I’m trying to show them how far they can go if they just take experiments and really try to get the most information out of each experiment they do,” Bhatia said.
Several doors away, pairs of high school students huddled over boxes of LEGO® MINDSTORMS® components, working to devise programmable robotic vehicles.
“My hope is that the activity convinces some of these students that robotics is something they can do, take an interest in and actually accomplish…. It’s not just for computer science geniuses,” said Dr. Eric Constans, Mechanical Engineering chair.
Important experiences
Hands-on experiences like these are especially important to students considering pursuing engineering, said keynote speaker Jamie Ginn, 2004 alumna and chemical engineer in Engineering Evaluations & Sustainability, DuPont Engineering, Wilmington.
“It’s difficult for some people to understand what engineers do, so I think it helps inspire students to want to get into engineering when they can see concepts and ideas turn into real products that we use every day,” she said.
The event helped solidify plans for Bridgeton High School student Matthew Jacobs III, 16, who hopes to pursue mechanical engineering.
“This is exactly what I want to be doing, and it also makes me want to come to Rowan,” he said.
Brian Stomel, 16, of Cherry Hill East High School agreed.
‘I’m pretty sure that I want to do electrical and computer engineering, and this program has helped to confirm that for me,” he said.
Such events ultimately not only benefit students but industry as well.
“It helps industry because we want the best and the brightest engineering graduates to work in the field,” Ginn said. “Ultimately you not only want to attract talent, you want good, passionate, talented employees who will stay with your company and be part of your overall mission.”