EVENT: University of Texas at Austin Engineering students celebrate National Engineers Week with a series of free events and educational activities.
WHEN: Friday, Feb. 15, through Friday, Feb. 22.
WHERE: The UT Austin campus. Contacts with more information are listed below, and maps of the university can be found at the following Web site: <www.utexas.edu/maps/main>.
BACKGROUND: To celebrate National Engineers Week, UT Austin engineering students will use humor and colorful visuals as they stage events demonstrating the role of engineers in society. National Engineers Week is celebrated around the birthday of George Washington because the nation’s first president was not only a land surveyor but also a military engineer. The event was started in 1951 by the National Society of Professional Engineers to increase public awareness and appreciation and its many contributions to society.
CONTACT: Becky Rische, College of Engineering, (512) 471-7272.
Schedule of events and activities
Feb. 16, Saturday
Engineering Day at Barton Creek Mall
Exhibits including robots by the university’s engineering societies, and a variety of activities for students of all ages mark this day of outreach, education and fun. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sponsored by the Student Engineering Council. Contact: Chris Johnson, 496-0722 or 471-3003.
Feb. 18, Monday
IEEE Soldering Smackdown
Contestants vie to be the best at soldering joints on a circuit board. 3:30 to 5 p.m.,
ENS 637. Contact: Nicholas Holifield, 791-7474 or 471-4500.
Feb. 19, Tuesday
College of Engineering Awards Luncheon
Recognizes the recipients of the annual corporate awards (Corporate Service Award and Texas Star Award) and the Student Leadership Awards. By invitation only.
Noon to 1:30 p.m., Etter-Harbin Alumni Center. Contact: Ann Bedinger, 471-1166.
Tau Beta Pi Humpty Dumpty Contest
Using only six pieces of paper and two feet of scotch tape, competing teams will design and construct a device to protect an egg from a 20-foot fall. Designs will then be field-tested. 2:30 to 3 p.m., breezeway outside the mechanical engineering building (ETC). Contact: Darren Dotson, 431-4411 or James Fung, 471-3007.
Feb. 21, Thursday
Human Mars Exploration
Dr. Humboldt Mandell, NASA Johnson Space Center, sponsored by the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics. 4 to 5 p.m. Contact Dr. Mandell, 471-7011, (281) 483-3977 (for technical information); or Talia Jurgens, 471-8271 or 471-3583 (for directions).
Theta Tau Rube Goldberg Competition
A machine design competition that will give engineering students a more creative outlook on problem solving. The student society with the most creative working machine advances to the national competition at Purdue University, Ind. This year’s challenge is to build a machine that will secure, raise and wave a national flag in 20 steps or more. 6 p.m. (setup 5 p.m.), Burnt Orange Room of the Frank Erwin Center. Contact: Adam Marinik, 656-5625 or 471-0221.
