On Thursday, October 27, more than 1,300 high school students from around Tennessee—and one from Illinois—converged on UT’s Tickle College of Engineering (TCE) for the 110th annual Engineers Day event.
“I am so proud of the Engineers Day success this year,” said Ozlem Kilic, the associate dean of academic and student affairs during this year’s event. “We are constantly fine tuning the event to showcase TCE and engineering professions. This was the largest event we have ever hosted, doubling our attendance from last year.”
Undergraduate classes were canceled to accommodate the enormous event, which was chiefly held in the newly dedicated Zeanah Engineering Complex (ZEC) and its courtyard.
“It was great to have moved the event to our brand-new building, where we are also able to showcase the Min Kao Innovation & Collaboration Studio,” said Kilic.
High schoolers spoke with engineering alumni, learned about admissions and financial assistance at UT, toured the engineering buildings on The Hill, and interacted with exhibits from industry, student, and professional organizations.
Students were also encouraged to get up close and personal with some of Tickle College’s nonhuman associates. UT’s SynDaver MABEline, an educational mannequin with removable organs that feel just like the real thing, was very popular in the courtyard. Meanwhile, Pepper and FRED, companion robots designed to aid Alzheimer’s patients, were the stars of the ZEC atrium.
Perhaps the main allure of the day was participation in the many competitions put on by student organizations and engineering societies.
“We had record participation in our competitions across the board,” Kilic said.
High schoolers built boats out of aluminum foil and towers out of spaghetti and marshmallows. A huge crowd gathered on the Tickle Bridge to see which crafty inventions protected raw eggs from the 32-foot drop onto the street below. In the John D. Tickle Engineering Building, students held their breaths as their balsa wood bridges were pressed to the cracking point—some holding more than 200 pounds of pressure.
Kilic gratefully acknowledged the hard work of all the organizers who made this year’s Engineers Day such a success.
“Kudos go to my assistant Ms. Shelby Bacon, the Engineering Honor Society Tau Beta Pi, and the amazing team of students, faculty, and staff that support this event,” she said.
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