UALR’s systems Engineering Department hosted 17 high school students at a two-week summer camp. The program, headed by Dr. Seshadri Mohan, offered students some insight into several branches of engineering study.
The 2008 Summer Engineering Scholars Program is funded by the Arkansas Science & Technology Authority and the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation. The residential program included hands-on experiences in mechanical engineering, computer and electrical applications, robotics, and telecommunications.
Besides introducing the students to an experimental approach to stimulating engineering education, the program included counseling and advising sessions to help students find financial aid resources that are needed to support their educations.
Building robots was just one example of the projects these students worked on. Other activities included two lectures by practicing engineers from Southwest Power Pool and Alltel Wireless, as well as a visit to Molex, a local plant that manufactures cable connectors and other electrical connectors.