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June 18, 2005
 
MU's Summer Engineering Academy Opens Sunday
 
By HNN Staff
 
Huntington, WV (HNN) – High school students from across the Tri-State region will learn more about the field of engineering during the fourth annual "Exploring Engineering: Academy of Excellence," beginning Sunday, June 19, 2005 at Marshall University's Huntington campus.
 
The week-long summer program is hosted by the College of Information Technology (CITE) in cooperation with Learning for Life Exploring programs and the Huntington post of the Society of American Military Engineers. The program is open to West Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky residents preparing to enter their junior year of high school.
 
Academy participants will explore engineering as a potential field of study and career by participating in hands-on engineering activities, touring engineering-related facilities and organizations, and interacting with practicing engineers from all major engineering disciplines, including civil, chemical, electrical, mechanical and environmental engineering.
 
The academy also will focus on skills important for success in the study and practice of engineering, such as problem-solving, team-building, project management, and communications.
 
Students will apply these skills and experiences through the design and construction of their own catapults and robots, which will be "field tested" at Gullickson Hall on Marshall's campus on Tuesday and Wednesday.
 
Academy activities will start this Sunday with a presentation for students and their families by West Virginia Commissioner of Highways Paul A. Mattox, P.E. The Academy will conclude on Friday, June 24, with the Awards Luncheon, featuring Paula George Tompkins, the founder and CEO of ChannelNet, (www.channelnet.com). The luncheon will occur at 11:30 a.m. in the John Marshall Room of the Memorial Student Center.
 
For more information on academy activities, persons may contact the Marshall University engineering department at (304) 746-2042 or (304) 696-5453, or by e-mail at eeae@marshall.edu. Additional information is available online at the academy Web site, www.marshall.edu/eeae. A schedule of activities follows:
 
Sunday, June 19
2-3 p.m., Marshall Commons residence halls, check-in
 
3-5 p.m., Memorial Student Center, welcome and presentations by Paul Mattox; Andrew Gillette, MU Engineering student
 
5-9 p.m., Memorial Student Center, icebreaker exercises, dinner, and team building exercises, building bridges (in Gullickson Hall Room 5)
 
 
Monday, June 20
8-11 a.m., introduction to CAD/CAM, using AutoCAD Inventor to make a CO2 racer, (GH 206A)
 
11 a.m.-noon, lunch, Harless Dining Hall
 
Noon-4 p.m., introduction to civil and environmental (GH5); Engineering: surveying, GPS, and environmental sampling - Buskirk Field
 
4-5:30 p.m., dinner (with guests), Harless Dining Hall
 
6-6:30 p.m., GPS scavenger hunt (Student Center fountain)
 
6:30-8:30 p.m., CO2 racers & bridge building (GH5)
 
 
Tuesday, June 21
8-9 a.m., introduction to trebuchet design, (GH5)
 
9:30-11 a.m., Buskirk Field, trebuchet design and construction
 
11 a.m.-noon, lunch, Harless Dining Hall
 
Noon-2 p.m., complete trebuchet construction
 
2-3 :30 p.m., trebuchet competition
 
4-5:30 p.m., dinner (with guests), Harless Dining Hall
 
6-7 p.m., RTI ITS research projects, (GH5)
 
7-8:30 p.m., CO2 racers & bridge building, (GH5)
 
Wednesday, June 22

 
8-9:30 a.m., introduction to intelligent transportation systems (using Lego robotics), Gullickson Hall engineering lab (GH 5)
 
9:30-11 a.m., work on robot design/construction (GH 5)
 
11 a.m.-noon, lunch, Harless Dining Hall
 
Noon-2 p.m., finalize robot design (GH5)
 
2-3 p.m., robotics competition (GH5)
 
3-4 p.m., speaker, Dr. Heidi Burch, "M&M's and Edible Photonic Crystals" (GH5)
 
4-5:30 p.m., dinner (with guests), Harless Dining Hall
 
6-8:30 p.m., complete work on CO2 racers & bridge; (GH 5)
 
Thursday, June 23
8 a.m.-5 p.m., field trips and discussions with engineers:
 
9 a.m.-11:15 a.m., Toyota Plant, Buffalo, W.Va.
 
11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., lunch at Golden Corral, Cross Lanes
 
12:30-1:30 p.m., travel to Memorial Tunnel
 
1:30-2:30 p.m., tour Memorial Tunnel
 
2:30-3:30 p.m., travel to New River Gorge Bridge
 
3:30-4:30 p.m., visit New River Gorge Bridge
 
4:30-6 p.m., return from NRGB
 
6-9 p.m., dinner and pool party, Waves of Fun in Hurricane, W.Va.
 
Friday, June 24
8:45-10:15 a.m., CO2 races (GH5)
 
10:30-11:15 a.m., EEAE evaluation and wrap-up (GH5)
 
11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., awards luncheon (and bridge testing), students, families, sponsors, staff and guests, John Marshall Room; guest speaker, Ms. Paula George Tompkins, founder and CEO of ChannelNet.