First USMA Engineering Exposition links engineers, students, cadets

A new event held to introduce high school students and cadets attending the U.S. Military Academy to the engineering profession attracted more than 500 people when it was held in September.

"Engineering Exposition" was hosted by the US Military Academy at Eisenhower Hall in West Point, N.Y.. The event was jointly sponsored by ASME's Mid-Hudson Section, the Society of Women Engineers' Mid-Hudson Branch and the American Society of Civil Engineers, for the purpose of promoting engineering and diversity in engineering across all disciplines and membership in engineering societies. The American Society of Engineering Managers also participated.

The two-hour event is expected to be organized annually.

A number of activities were featured this year: children using toothpicks and gumdrops to build model truss bridges; high school students and cadets building and testing virtual bridges; Army Lab project managers highlighting projects under development for the Army; and engineers and students engaging in informal discussions about opportunities associated with an education and career in engineering.

Major Bret VanPoppel, assistant professor in the Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering and faculty advisor for the West Point ASME Student Section, noted that one goal of the exposition was to provide a forum for experienced engineers and engineering majors to acquaint cadets and high school students with the various engineering fields.

"Since cadets are not exposed to engineering courses prior to selecting a major, and since most high school curricula do not include engineering, the exposition served as an educational tool to fill those voids," VanPoppel explained.

Another goal of the exposition was to attract women and minorities to the engineering field through student interaction with female and minority practicing engineers and engineering faculty members.

The event was funded partly by a grant from the Board of Diversity and Outreach's "Partners in Mechanical Engineering" program. It provides grants to ASME Sections for projects and activities that support collaboration with local sections or chapters of organizations that support women and underrepresented minority groups in engineering.

The program recognizes the important role of the grassroots membership in promoting the Society as a welcome home for all mechanical engineers. For more information, visit www.asme.org/communities/diversities/bdo/partners.html or contact Mary James Legatski at legatskim@asme.org.

 

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