Utahs Engineers: A Statewide Initiative for Growth

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Utahs Engineers A Statewide Initiative for
Growth

• Dr. Cynthia Furse
• University of Utah

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Engineering Economic Engine

• Utahs Engineering-Generated Economy grew 189M
  from 2000-2005
• INDUSTRY is KEY to Legislative Initiatives

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Utahs Product Goal -- 2000

• Double Engineers by 2005
• Triple by 2008!

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Goal Graduate More Engineers2M NSF Project
2007-2012
Since 2000 -- 22 More 46 More Engineers
Goal 180 MORE Graduates/ year (540 total)
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Goal Graduate More Engineers
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WHOs INVOLVED

• UU College of Engineering (7 Departments)
• Local Industry
• High School Teachers / Advisors / Principals
• District Curriculum Specialists
• Salt Lake Community College (2 year college)
• Academy for Math, Engineering, Sciences (Charter
  HS)
• Project Lead the Way
• Jordan Applied Tech Center
• MESA-STEP
• Utah Campus Compact
• Leonardo Science Center
• Utah State Office of Education
• Governors Office of Economic Development

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PROGRAM OBJECTIVES APPROACH

• HS Recruitment and UU Retention

Growth
Sustainability
University of Utah
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Who Are We Recruiting?
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Who Are We Recruiting ?
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How Can We Reach Them?

• Teachers
• Parents
• School Counselors
• University Advisors
• Special Programs
• Peers
• Traditional Advertising

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Teachers GREAT Recruiters !
Mr. Bradford Physics Teacher Logan High
School Have you thought about Engineering?
Mr. Gray Shop Teacher Logan Junior High It will
be hard, but you can do it.
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Have You Thought About Engineering Program?

• Presentations /Meetings with many HS / Community
  Collegeteacher groups as possible.
• Desk Notepads with Slogan
• Relationships! Relationships! Relationships!
• Little Money, Lotsa Time
• Expect High Payoff
• Sanity Hint College-wide

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Reaching Parents

• This one is harder.
• HS newsletters (including specialty newsletters
  such as IB, MESA).
• Invite to Engineering Days.
• More likely than kids to see public media.
• POSTCARD direct mail.
• PHONE CALLS! (Students and/or Parents)
• Industry 70 of UU grads work in state

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Advising

• High School
• Alumni Industry Mentors/Invitation Letters to
  Potential Students
• Pre-Eng (UU/Transfers)
• College of Engineering
• Departments
• New UU Mandatory Yearly Advising
• Need BOTH Institutionalized Process (training,
  etc.) AND Relationships.

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Infiltrating Engineering

Establish Undergraduate Teams
Train to Do Outreach In Schools
Outreach Visits
Recruit High School Teachers
Develop HS Engineering Modules
Present Modules in Schools
Summer Engineering Camp
Refine Modules
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7 Departmental Teams

• 1 Professor
• 1 HS Teacher
• 4 UU students
• 1 SLCC student
• 1-2 HS students
• Next Year
• 1 Pre-Teacher

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Teaching Modules

• Goal Modules that teachers will adopt.
• Core Curriculum (Precalc,Calc,Phys,Chem
• Hands on / Demos
• Include Engineering Application in Each

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Electrical Engineering

• Jello Optics
• EM Ring Launcher (projectile motion, induction,
  heat)
• Electricity
• Magnetism
• More (physics) demos to come

• Working with Doug Hendricks, AMES HS Physics

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School of Computing

• Pre-Calculus Concepts
• Public Key Encryption (basic math)
• Cannon Simulation (sine, cosine, and tangent and
  two dimensional vectors)

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Mechanical Engineering

• Hydraulic Arm (Iterative Nature of Design)
• Wind Tunnel Experiment

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Chemical Engineering

• Snow making machine

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Materials Science Engineering HIGH SCHOOL
INTERACTIVE DEMONSTRATIONS
High school team members demonstrating polymer
rebound behavior
High school member of team participating in space
shuttle tile demonstration
Salt Lake Community College team member
explaining the role of materials in a catalytic
converter
Undergraduate team members showing how materials
are used in a hip replacement
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Civil Environmental Engineering

• The Math of TRAX

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WHO is Really Benefitting Here?
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What Goes Wrong?

• VIDEO!!!

Real ENGINEERS Real ENGINEERING
They Need to KNOW what you are learning TODAY
Demo Provide Measured Data
Learn More
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SHOW Me Videos

• Motivation / Engineering Career
• Homework Help
• Calculus, Physics, Chemistry
• College Classes
• YouTube, MySpace, FaceBook, Ipod

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Path to Sustainability

• Utah State Department of Education Website
• HS Teachers --Continuing Education Credit
• UU Students Service Learning Course
• Industry Adopt-a-Module
• Possible Student-Run Business

University of Utah
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College of Engineering Day

• Previously Electrical Engineering Day
• Speakers, Lab Tours, Lunch
• About 150 HS juniors attend annually.
• Challenges with Advertising
• Alumni Industry Speakers (ALL speakers) get
  mixed reviews
• Lab Tours are favorites.

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1st Annual Utah High School Summit on
Bio-Innovation

• Focus on prepared, science-interested,
  undecided HS students
• Bio-Innovation Experiences (Tours / hands-on
  / real science)
• Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (Local
  Entrepreneurs)
• Change the World (Local Industry)
• Invention Convention (Design Contest)

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Industry Sponsorship
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Alumni Association Outreach

• School Presentations (focus on middle school
  college prep) (initial mixed reviews)
• Industry Tours (initial positive reviews)
• Students want to see / do REAL stuff. But it
  better be exciting!
• Science Fair / Special Project Mentors (initial
  very positive reviews)

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Retention Freshman ELEAP

• Engineering Leadership (GenEds)
• Some Industry Speakers
• Find a Community Impact Engineering Project
• Opportunities for industry mentoring
• This year students left because of
• Fear of losing scholarship (GPA 3.75).
• Considering scholarship insurance.
• Didnt like their math/physics class.
• Not doing so well.
• Tutoring Center up and running.
• Family / work demands.

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ECE Retention Freshman (and other) Design
Projects

• NSF DLR Project
• System-Level Labs
• Freshman BioSensors (Play up your schools
  strength)
• Sophomore DC Power Supply

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Junior Cardiac Pacemaker Comm System
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Senior Capstone Design Clinic
Industry-Sponsored 25k, 5 students Prof
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What Can Industry Do For You?

• Sponsorships (Ask, Give, Be United)
• Alumni Mentors (College / HS / K12 )
• Speakers Use Them Wisely
• Support (Letters, Calls, Visits)
• Legislature
• Administration
• Students
• Jobs In Your State Are Good Recruitment

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There is No Substitute for 1-on-1 Mentoring at
ALL Levels
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Thank you !!
Dr. Cynthia Furse www.ece.utah.edu/cfurse
cfurse_at_ece.utah.edu Phone (801)
585-7234 NSF STEP Project 0652982 NSF DLR
Project 0431958