howard university engineering ambassador program
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Howard University Engineering Ambassador Program. Indira Sirjue Taylor Valencia Samrakshak Lamichhane Civil and Environmental Engineering Howard University Washington DC. NEES Monthly EOT meeting- Tuesday, April 9, 2013 . Introduction. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
HOWARD UNIVERSITYENGINEERING AMBASSADORPROGRAM
Indira Sirjue Taylor Valencia
Samrakshak Lamichhane
Civil and Environmental EngineeringHoward University
Washington DCNEES Monthly EOT meeting- Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Introduction• Engages undergraduate engineering students in outreach from K-12 grades and the general public, and promotion of careers in engineering
• Allows hands on experiences by teaching children about tsunamis and coastal engineering
• The ambassador program at Howard University started in 2011 in collaboration with NEEScomm and NEES-OSU
NEES Monthly EOT meeting- Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Organization and objectives
NEES Monthly EOT meeting- Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Year 1-2011Undergraduate student
coordinator
12 Ambassadors
Objective:• To lead outreach
activity at National Engineering Week family day
Year 2-2012
Graduate student coordinator
20 Ambassadors
Objectives:• To lead outreach
activity at National Engineering Week family day
• To coordinate and run educational and outreach activities and other education activities at K12 level in the DC area
• To provide training to volunteers to run similar activities
Year 3-2013Undergraduate student
coordinator
23 Ambassadors
Objectives:• To lead outreach activity at
National Engineering Week family day
• To coordinate and run educational and outreach activities and other education activities at K12 level in the DC area
• To provide training to volunteers to run similar activities
• To coordinate new outreach activities including earthquake-structural engineering concepts
Student Coordinators and Members
NEES Monthly EOT meeting- Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Madeline Martinez
Ambassador Program Activities• Three Years: The National Engineering Week Family
Day: Joint effort: Howard University, NEEScomm, NEES@OSU and NSF
• 2012-2013 Events:• 2nd Annual USA Science & Engineering Festival Expo in
April 2012• Westlawn Elementary School Event• Girl’s Inc DC Event• Brother 2 Brother Youth Conference• National Engineers Week Open House for Prospective
Students at Howard University• Accepted Students Day at Howard University
NEES Monthly EOT meeting- Tuesday, April 9, 2013
2nd Annual USA Science & Engineering Festival Expo, 2012
• Howard University ambassadors supported the training of volunteers and the flume transportation for the tsunami wave activity
• Five HU ambassadors organized two training sections for 15 volunteers during April 21 and 22 at Howard University.
NEES Monthly EOT meeting- Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Westlawn Elementary School Event
Girl’s Inc. DC Event
NEES Monthly EOT meeting- Tuesday, April 9, 2013
The Brother 2 Brother Youth Conference
• The ambassadors conducted the mini-wave flume activity at the Annual Brother 2 Brother Youth Conference on November 16th, 2012
• The Conference was held on the campus of Howard University. This conference was specifically designed to reach minority male youth from the 7th to 12th grade with workshops and presentations targeted toward minority male youth development challenges
• Three ambassadors participated in this event.
NEES Monthly EOT meeting- Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Discover Engineering Family Day• The Annual Discover Engineering Family Day Event at
the National Building Museum in Washington, DC, February 16th, 2013.
• 24 ambassadors successfully ran the exhibit, teaching children about tsunamis and surveyed students about the event.
• Over 1,000 people visited and participated in the activity.
NEES Monthly EOT meeting- Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Prospective Students Day and Accepted Students Day
• On February 23rd, 2013 the ambassadors participated in the National Engineers Week Open House for Prospective Students at Howard University.
• On April 5th, 2013 ambassadors participated in Accepted Students Day.
• Incoming freshman engineering students were able to experience what ambassadors do in the program and also have a chance to test the equipment.
NEES Monthly EOT meeting- Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Other Outcomes from the ambassador program at Howard University
• Main benefits for the ambassador:Inspires future goalsPromotes self confidence as successful
engineersEncourages leadership Provides the perfect platform to build closer
relationships with faculty advisors, classmates, etc.
NEES Monthly EOT meeting- Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Opportunities for Undergraduate researchers
A significant number of ambassadors are participating or already participated in undergraduate research projects as a direct consequence of their participation in the ambassador program
How did the program provide this opportunity?
NEES Monthly EOT meeting- Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Opportunities for Undergraduate researchers
• Sam Lamichhane was inspired by his participation in this program and started his undergraduate research activities under the supervision of Claudia Marin during the summer of 2011. Sam Lamichhane presented his peer reviewed paper at the 91th TRB Annual meeting in 2012.
NEES Monthly EOT meeting- Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Opportunities for Undergraduate researchers
NEES Monthly EOT meeting- Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Determination of Tsunami Forces on Bridge Structure and Connections
This research was partially supported by The National Science Foundation (Award number CMMI-0927178), Dwight D. Eisenhower HBCU Transportation Fellowship and by the TRB Minority Student Fellows Program.
Samrakshak Lamichhane NEES Mini Wave Flume (MWF) at Howard University NEES Monthly EOT meeting- Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Other Undergraduate researchers
NEES Monthly EOT meeting- Tuesday, April 9, 2013
• Mathu’ Davis participated as a NEES REU participant supporting a research project at Lehigh University during summer 20012 . Project entitled Post-Tensioned Coupled Shear Wall Systems
• Mathu’ Davis and Kara Kea are currently working on an NSF project performing numerical analysis on different Passive Protective Systems to protective lightweight equipment
• Cameron Sanders and Taylor Valencia are currently finalizing a research paper under the UCSD-REU project on the effects of seismic activity on the protective systems of a cooling tower
• Ariel Ward and Taylor Valencia will also be embarking on a NEES-REU experience at Georgia Institute of Technology during July 2013
Challenges faced by the Ambassadors• Dedicating and managing time in order to participate in the
program and maintain academic excellence.
• Ensuring availability for all necessary meetings and reviewing the provided material before the training sessions
• Practicing social skills in order to connect with the activity participants
• Transporting the flume
NEES Monthly EOT meeting- Tuesday, April 9, 2013
WHERE DO WE WANT TO GO?
NEES Monthly EOT meeting- Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Future directions
• Coordinate and run new outreach activities including Earthquake-structural engineering concepts.
• Basic concepts• Make your own earthquake• Small building models
• Activities in the new structural simulation Lab
NEES Monthly EOT meeting- Tuesday, April 9, 2013
• Youth-friendly
• Note returning participants
Assessments
Activity assessments will be improved upon in order to gain more effective evaluation and feedback
NEES Monthly EOT meeting- Tuesday, April 9, 2013
