Presentation for Summer Teacher Institute

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Presentation for Summer Teacher Institute
Zoran Nenadic, DSc Assistant Professor Departmen
t of Biomedical Engineering Department of
Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
(courtesy) University of California,
Irvine August 12, 2009
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Poll Question 1 The best career choice for K-12
students who are good in math and science is A)
Math or science teacher B) Financial sector
(banking, insurance) C) Engineer D) Research
scientist (graduate degree required)
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Poll Question 2 Your students would consider
becoming engineers because A) Engineering is
challenging, exciting, hands-on and rewarding B)
Engineering has a good career potential (pays
well, especially in the long run) C) Engineers
make a difference D) Engineering requires skills
in math and science and they are good at both
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Poll Question 3 Which message is the most
appealing A) Engineers make a world of
difference. From new farming equipment and safer
drinking water to electric cars and faster
microchips, engineers use their knowledge to
improve peoples lives in meaningful ways. B)
Engineers are creative problem-solvers. They have
a vision for how something should work and are
dedicated to making it better, faster, or more
efficient. C) Engineers help shape the
future. They use the latest science, tools, and
technology to bring ideas to life. D)
Engineering is essential to our health,
happiness, and safety. From the grandest
skyscrapers to microscopic medical devices, it is
impossible to imagine life without
engineering. E) Engineers connect science to the
real world. They collaborate with scientists and
other specialists (such as animators, architects,
or chemists) to turn bold new ideas into reality.
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Poll Question 4 If your students wanted to tell
their families and friends why they were going to
engineering, what would they say? A) I want to
turn ideas into reality B) Because my dreams
need doing C) I want to design things that work
wonders D) I want financial security E) I want
to be a part of making the next big invention
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Changing Perception of Engineering in K-12
Education
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• Problem
• Engineering is not attracting enough people to
  the field
• Engineering is not attracting the diversity of
  background needed
• Students who are good in math and science may not
  be aware of
• engineering careers
• If this trend continues, the U.S. may lose its
  competitiveness in
• the global economy
• Moving Forward to Improve Engineering Education,
  National Science Board, 2007
• A central issue the way engineering is perceived
  by
• prospective students
• teachers (YOU)
• guidance counselors
• parents

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Background Society at large does not have an
accurate perception of the nature of engineering
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• Significance In contrast to these common public
  perceptions, it is an exciting time to be an
  engineer
• - The next generation of U.S. engineers will be
  challenged to find holistic solutions to
• population
• energy
• environment
• food
• water
• terrorism
• housing
• health
• transportation problems
• - New subfields of engineering continue to
  emerge
• nanotechnology
• biotechnology
• information technology
• logistics

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Opportunity Biomedical Engineering (BME) is here
to stay. Biomedical Engineers combine
engineering, biology, and biomechanical
principles to the design, development, and
evaluation of biological and health systems and
products, such as artificial organs, prostheses,
instrumentation, medical information systems, and
heath management and care delivery systems.
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Opportunity Orange County is the center of
biomedical device industry (200 companies) It
takes 4 years to earn a BME degree (comparable to
science degree, and much shorter than medical and
law degrees) Mean annual wage for BME
professionals 81,120 Mean annual wage for BME
professionals (California) 91,590 Other
engineering disciplines (mechanical, electrical,
chemical, civil) have similar wages
source United States Department of Labor, 2008
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Approach - Make a Difference message is
key - This represents a paradigm shift from the
previous message where the challenge of math and
science skills were emphasized - Encouraging
students to make a difference in the world
through an engineering career is more likely to
attract them to engineering. Changing the
Conversation Messages for Improving Public
Understanding of Engineering, National Academy of
Engineering, 2008
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Brain Computer Interface (BCI) featured at 60
minutes
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BCI research at UC Irvine
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10-20 International Standard
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E
400 ms
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80 points (numbers)
2 numbers
640 numbers
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Q How would you increase the performance? Q
What else can be done?