Conference Session

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Collection

2003 Annual Conference

Authors

Hy Tran; Catherine Clewett

structures to illustrate the kinematics and geometry of MEMS devices.Additionally, the students are exposed to science and engineering in the ways that it ispracticed—in groups, with collaboration, using software as a design aid, and focusing oncommunication.This project also address nine of the sixteen standards in science for grades 5-12 as publishedby the New Mexico State Department of Education. In particular, the curriculum will reinforcemany of the content standards in the physical sciences as well as technology and the history ofscience6. For example, Content Standard 2 Section C for grades 5-8 says the student will C. Design and Develop Models. 1. Develop an understanding that models take many forms and have

Conference Session

Writing and Communication II

Collection

2004 Annual Conference

Authors

James Hanson; Julia Williams

keeping the evaluation load reasonable while giving students anactivity that would be totally integrated with their technical work. For these reasons, the authorsconsidered the homework problem context and decided that was the best area for development.Using writing in the engineering classroom can help students discover what they do and do notknow, help them visualize the problems on which they are working, and generally assist them inreflecting on their work in the classroom.The course selected for assignment development is Engineering Statics. The students enrolled inthe course are predominantly civil, mechanical and biomedical engineering majors in thefreshman or sophomore year. The course lasts ten weeks and is an introductory

Conference Session

ECE Pedagogy and Assessment II

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Aurenice Oliveira, Michigan Technological University

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

computer versionof the Simulation Program with Integrated Circuit Emphasis software) files weredeveloped to assist in circuit analysis. National Instrument’s LabVIEW (LaboratoryVirtual Instrumentation Engineering Workbench) files were developed to introducerapids methods of computer-aided special-purpose instrumentation and control systems.MultiSim is a schematic capture, simulation, and programmable logic tool used bycollege and university students in their course of study of electronics and electricalengineering. MultiSim is widely regarded as an excellent tool for classroom andlaboratory learning.3.7) Frequent feedbackWhile it is important for any class, frequent feedback is particularly important for non-majors. Timely and adequate feedback is

Conference Session

Electrical and Computer Division Technical Session 5

Collection

2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Arnold Stanley Berger PhD, University of Washington, Bothell

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

approval of the degree byWashington’s Higher Education Coordinating Board (HEC Board)[1] and the Board of Regents ofthe University, a faculty committee was formed to lay the foundation for the EE degree anddevelop the goals, educational objectives, and desired student outcomes for the program.Of key concern to this committee, chaired by the author, was obtaining ABET accreditation assoon as possible1. Therefore, much of our planning was focused on creating a robust BSEEdegree from the outset. Particular attention was given to the Capstone Experience. According toABET, students in an accredited EE program must have a Capstone Experience: Students must be prepared for engineering practice through a curriculum culminating in a major

Conference Session

Civil Engineering Division - Is This Real? Reaching Students with Virtual and Augmented Reality

Collection

2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mojgan Jadidi, York University; Damith Tennakoon, York University; Aman U. Usmani, York University; Muhammad Usman; Apostolos Vasileiou, York University; Sasha Latchaev, York University; Melanie Baljko, York University; Usman Khan, York University; Matthew Perras, York University

). To furnish the application of our extensivework, we have developed a prototype virtual sandbox, a web-based application, that imports these DTM’s for further digitalanalysis. The virtual sandbox application is an interactive computer program developed using the Unity 3D game engine, gearedtowards teaching complex earth-science concepts. The current prototype allows generation of automatic contour maps, overlayedon the terrain model and it is integrated into a learning exercise for students in Civil Engineering to understand the orientation ofa planar structure using the 3-Point Problem approach. This exercise has been traditionally delivered using pen and paper, aidedwith physical 3D models and now it is possible to visualize the problem

Conference Session

Energy Conversion and Conservation Division Technical Session 2: Solar Track

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Matt Aldeman, Illinois State University; Jin Ho Jo, Illinois State University

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

mission of the program is “to prepare technically-orientedmanagerial professionals and leaders for business, industry, government, and education byarticulating and integrating competencies in Renewable Energy.” The program preparesgraduates for jobs in the fields of energy and renewable energy systems as well as regulatory andgovernmental agencies. To meet the demand for well-rounded graduates who are knowledgeablein both technical and economic aspects of renewable energy systems, an interdisciplinarycurriculum was developed, consisting of a multitude of selected courses from across theuniversity. In 2018, the name of the program was revised to the “Sustainable and RenewableEnergy” program to reflect the increasingly broad array of energy

Collection

1997 Annual Conference

Authors

Sr., Buck F. Brown; Jr., Buck F. Brown

contributed to the foundations of thismethod as an outgrowth of cognitive and later, constructivist learning theory dealing with theproblem-solving process. Problem-based learning has modern origins in medical education. Inparticular, Barrows and Tamblyn [4] in the mid 1970’s began exploring its use at McMasterUniversity as part of the medical school’s curriculum. Within more recent times, HarvardMedical School completely revised its pre-clinical curriculum from a lecture-based approach to aproblem-based format [5]. Problem-based education has a growing number of supporters from a variety ofdisciplines, learning settings and levels. [6] For instance, the problem-based approach has beengaining popularity in the areas of administration

Collection

2019 ASEE Zone I Conference & Workshop

Authors

Stephen Wilkerson; Joe Cerreta; Andrew D Gadsden

lessons learned in the first year, students were broken intofour groups or teams: the Airframe Team, the RPIC Team, the Video Analysis Team, and theFlight Controls Team. Their respective assignments, which are shown in Appendix A of thispaper, were, for the most part, selected by the students themselves. As would be expected, the Airframe Team was mainly composed of mechanicalengineers who understood lift design, loading characteristics, and the importance of structuralstrength in picking an airfoil profile and design. The team also needed to work with the otherteams to integrate the components needed for the aerial photography mission and autonomousflight mission. Fortunately, mechanical drawings and building techniques were well within

Conference Session

Advancing Manufacturing Education Through Outreach and Collaboration

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Dave Kim, Washington State University-Vancouver; Jan Jewett, Washington State University-Vancouver

Tagged Divisions

Manufacturing

Abstract This paper presents a collaborative manufacturing project between theManufacturing Engineering (MfgE) program and the Child Development program (CDP)– a preschool program – at Washington State University Vancouver. In the MfgEProgram, a two credit course named “Advanced Manufacturing Processes Lab” allowsthe students to integrate course materials from the entire MfgE curriculum into open-ended, student-designed and fabricated projects. The MfgE program assisted the CDP tofabricate a “learning center” or station that encourages children to work in a variety ofways with water. This station would allow children to investigate ways to make watermove and to observe and study the ways that water moves naturally. The students in

Conference Session

Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology Projects and Applications

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Chandra R. Sekhar, Purdue University, Calumet ; Omer Farook, Purdue University; Jai P. agrawal, Purdue University Calumet; Essaid Bouktache, Purdue University, Calumet

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

the curriculum of an Electrical and Computer EngineeringTechnology program, the biomedical course is redesigned so that the students can follow thetheory with laboratory experiments for processing biomedical signals utilizing System DesignApproach (SDA). Isolated experiments focused on a single topic never conveyed the holistic feelthat is gained through a complete instrumentation platform design.This course is offered in the form of Learning Modules. The paper discuses the coursesystem design learning modules which encompasses: 1) Bio signal, Transducers and SignalConditioning, 2) Microcontrollers based Embedded System design, 3) Embedded SystemProgramming, 4) Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) Design, 5) Use of Graphical UserInterface (GUI

Conference Session

Engaging Students with Creativity and Innovation

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Joanne Dera, New Jersey Institute of Technology; Davida Scharf, New Jersey Institute of Technology; Joseph J. Mercuri, New Jersey Institute of Technology; Raymond Patrick Vasquez, New Jersey Institute of Technology

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Libraries

. Eskridge, “What engineers want: lessons learned from five years of studying engineering library users,” in ​122nd ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition​, June 14-17, 2015.[3] D. Zwicky, “Work-in progress: “ask us here” in the shadow of hunt library,” in ​120th ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition,​ June 23-26, 2013.[4] A.J. Carroll, B.P. Change, H.N. Eskridge, “Lab-integrated librarians: engagement with unreachable researchers,” in ​124th ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition​, June 25-28, 2017.[5] M. Gross, D. Latham, “Attaining information literacy: an investigation of the relationship between skill level, self-estimates of skill and library anxiety,” ​Library & Information Science Research

Conference Session

Materials Science and Engineering of 2020

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Seung Kim, Rochester Institute of Technology; Richard Fasse, Rochester Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Materials

to school and received an MS in Mathematics Education and an Ed.D. in Instruction and Curriculum at the University of Rochester while he worked 1/2 time teaching introductory computer science courses at SUNY-Brockport. He also earned a Graduate Certificate in Interactive Media Design from RIT at about the same time he completed his doctoral dissertation on the topic of "Electronic Texts as Alternative to Traditional Textbooks." He finished his Doctorate in Education just when web browsers were becoming popular so he marshaled all these experiences and brought them with him to RIT’s Distance Learning program. He was instrumental in converting the RIT distance learning program to

Collection

1998 Annual Conference

Authors

William Park

numerous others.Final oral and written reports must be presented, including both a User’s Manual, and aTechnical Report. The Technical Report includes mathematical analyses of the various parts ofthe machines as well as fabrication procedures and a cost analysis. An informal (though graded)preliminary demonstration is held about two weeks before the official public demonstration towhich the general public is invited.INTRODUCTIONThree years ago, the freshman engineering curriculum at Clemson University was completelyoverhauled. Replacing the standard freshman programming course (FORTRAN) during thesecond semester was ENGR 120, a new course in engineering computation, problem solving anddesign. A group project was designated to be an integral part

Conference Session

Faculty Development: Creating successful NEEs

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kam Jugdev, Athabasca University

Tagged Divisions

New Engineering Educators

needs that academics have at stages of their careers. The paperemphasises the importance of mentoring in faculty development programs and concludes withsome tricks of the trade, that I learned through my experiences.Tensions between Scholarship PrioritiesBoyer discusses four kinds of scholarship priorities for a professoriate – the scholarship ofdiscovery (research), the scholarship of teaching (pedagogy), the scholarship of practice(application), and the scholarship of integration (critical analysis and interpretation) 3. Mostuniversities focus on the first three priorities - research, teaching, and service. It is an ongoingchallenge for academics to balance their efforts in these three areas, particularly with thepressures to “publish or

Collection

1997 Annual Conference

Authors

Wils L. Cooley

the demand for moreand more specialized higher education is increasing in the rural areas. If we are to meetour mandate in a cost-effective manner, new ways must be found to deliver engineeringclasses to widely scattered students at home or at facilities which do not have engineeringlaboratory equipment. It is in this context that the department of Electrical and ComputerEngineering has attempted to develop a quality electronics laboratory experience forplace-bound and equipment-poor students.THE PRESENT COURSE STRUCTUREThe presently required traditional laboratory is entitled "Digital Electronics Laboratory."The catalog description is "Design, fabrication, and measurement of digital electroniccircuits. Use of discrete devices, integrated

Conference Session

Problem Solving, Adaptive Expertise, and Social Engagement

Collection

2018 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Janna H. Ferguson, Northeastern University; Jennifer Lehmann, Northeastern University; Yevgeniya V. Zastavker, Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering; Susan Chang, Northeastern University; Reid P. Higginson, Harvard University; Cigdem P. Talgar, Northeastern University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

. Zastavker, Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering Yevgeniya V. Zastavker, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Physics at Franklin W. Olin College of En- gineering. She earned her B.S. degree in Physics from Yale University in 1995 and her Ph. D. degree in Biological Physics from MIT in 2001. Dr. Zastavker’s research interests lie in the field of STEM educa- tion with specific emphasis on innovative pedagogical and curricular practices at the intersection with the issues of gender and diversity. Dr. Zastavker is currently working with Dr. Stolk on an NSF-supported project to understand students’ motivational attitudes in a variety of educational environments with the goal of improving learning opportunities for students

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Capstone Design

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Amit Shashikant Jariwala, Georgia Institute of Technology; Sarvagya Vaish, Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology ; David W. Rosen, Georgia Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

teams. In order to assist withresolving these issues, an online portal was developed to support the implementation of multidisciplinary CapstoneDesign projects. Faculty and student feedback was solicited in order to conceptualize and develop the website tosupport the entire process of student team formation, sharing of multidisciplinary project ideas across schools andmaking student-team assignments. This paper presents the design of this web portal along with a discussion on thescope for further improvement.KeywordsMultidisciplinary, capstone design, senior design, online portalIntroductionCapstone Design Course is offered as a project based culminating course in many undergraduateengineering programs. It is an integrative course where senior

Conference Session

ASEE Multimedia Session

Collection

2002 Annual Conference

Authors

Daniel Raviv

this case is “using feedback”. Feedback can be added to a systemor may be an integral part of it. Examples: Cruise control system of a car uses velocity feedbackto maintain a constant speed. Some eyeglasses adjust to the ambient light by changing the colorof the lenses.a7) Example for the Similarity strategyHow can sunflower seeds be separated from their shell? How can parts wrapped in protectivepaper be unpacked?An inventive (patent-based) solution to both problems is: place some quantity of the product intoa hermetic chamber. Slowly increase the pressure inside the chamber. Then abruptly let thepressure drop. This will result in an explosion that will split the product.a8) Example for the Experimentation strategyThis strategy refers to

Collection

2024 South East Section Meeting

Authors

Mazen I. Hussein, Tennessee Technological University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

beliefs play a complete mediating rolewhen assessing the persistence of interest in pursuing an engineering major, contingent on one'sself-perceived identity as an engineer. As a composite framework of self-beliefs, Godwin andKirn's model, which integrates identity and motivation, reveals a limited but noteworthyenhancement in explaining the variance associated with students' enduring commitment to anengineering major, surpassing the contributions of either identity or motivation constructsoperating in isolation.Utilizing a survey with open-ended questions, students were encouraged to enumerate the factorsimpacting their confidence in achieving success in a first-year engineering course at PurdueUniversity [2]. Subsequently, students were

Collection

2017 ASEE Mid Atlantic Section Spring Conference

Authors

Kee M Park, Queensborough Community College

2017 ASEE Mid Atlantic SectionSpring Conference: Morgan State University, Baltimore, Maryland Apr 7 Paper ID #20824Advanced Manufacturing Laboratory to Enhance STEM LearningDr. Kee M Park, Queensborough Community College Dr. Park is an Assistant Professor at Queensborough Community College, teaching various mechanical engineering courses including statics, strength of materials, thermodynamics and fluids, and materials laboratory. Dr. Park has extensive industrial experiences, working in design of consumer products, design of power plants and research for U.S Department of Defense. Dr. Park’s research interest include STEM

Conference Session

WIED: Partnering with and Supporting the WIED Community

Collection

2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Christine Delahanty, Bucks County Community College; Jason Silverman, Drexel University

). Women in STEM: A gender gap to innovation. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration.[11] Jones, B. D., Ruff, C., & Paretti, M. C. (2013). The impact of engineering identification and stereotypes on undergraduate women's achievement and persistence in engineering. Social Psychology of Education: An International Journal, 16(3), 471-493. doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy2.library.drexel.edu/10.1007/s11218-013- 9222-x[12] Froyd, J. E., & Ohland, M. W. (2005). Integrated engineering curricula. Journal of Engineering Education, 94(1), 147-164. doi:10.1002/j.2168-9830.2005.tb00835.x[13] Weinland, K. A. (2012). How social networks influence female students' choices to major in

Conference Session

Promoting Inclusivity and Broadening Participation

Collection

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Adam T Melvin, Clemson University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering Division (ChED)

engineering-specific disciplines even though Next Generation Science Standard haveplaced an emphasis on teaching engineering concepts and practices in the K-12 curriculum [2].The entire engineering community has been working to address this concern through STEM nightsas schools, activity days at museums, and active involvement in the community. These STEMnights are amazing; however, one challenge with these events is that they are geared towards alarger audience (e.g., >50 people per event) for a short duration (e.g., 15-60 min) and the briefcontact time may not be sufficient to truly inspire potential young scientists and engineers oreducate them about engineering and the engineering design process. Recent efforts have attemptedto overcome this

Conference Session

Civil Engineering Division (CIVIL) - ASCE Collaborations

Collection

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Carly Woelfel, United States Military Academy; Brett Rocha P.E., United States Military Academy; Kevin Francis McMullen, United States Military Academy; Kevin Taylor Scruggs, United States Military Academy; Talal Salem, United States Military Academy; Aaron T Hill Jr. P.E., United States Military Academy

Tagged Divisions

Civil Engineering Division (CIVIL)

sponsoredresearch design projects or community service design-build projects.The capstone course consists of a project completed over two semesters, giving the students anopportunity to apply and integrate their civil engineering knowledge from multiple sub-disciplines in an open-ended project. Paramount to the capstone experience is the application ofthe engineering design process. By implementing the Steel Bridge and Concrete Canoecompetitions as a project in the capstone course, it ensures that the projects have dedicatedleaders, advisors, time, and resources to facilitate competing at a high level. The capstoneprogram includes both group and individual graded requirements broken down into coursedirected group deliverables (25%), individual ABET student

Conference Session

Teaching Communication I

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Marie C Paretti, Virginia Tech; Kelly J Cross, Virginia Tech; Holly M Matusovich, Virginia Tech

Tagged Divisions

Liberal Education/Engineering & Society

assessmentrubrics for a range of general education outcomes – the American Association of Colleges andUniversities’ (AACU) Valid Assessment of Learning in Undergraduate Education (VALUE)project20. Focused on outcomes generally associated with liberal education, the VALUE projectbrought together faculty from AACU member institutions to develop a common set of rubrics foroutcomes ranging from civic engagement to integrative learning to reading, including rubrics fororal communication, written communication, and teamwork. Each rubric provides an overalldefinition for the learning outcome and any key terms, and identifies benchmark, milestone, and Page

Conference Session

NSF Grantees Poster Session

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Robert C. Martin, Texas A&M University; Cynthia Lang, Texas A&M University; Sin-Ning Cindy Liu, Texas A&M University; Carolyn L Sandoval, University of California, San Diego; Mindy Bergman, Texas A&M University; Jeffrey E. Froyd, Ohio State University

Tagged Topics

Diversity, NSF Grantees Poster Session

, and fairness and mistreatment in the workplace and in STEM classrooms and programs.Dr. Jeffrey E. Froyd, Ohio State University Dr. Jeffrey E. Froyd is a Professor in the Department of Engineering Education at the Ohio State Uni- versity, College Station. He received the B.S. degree in mathematics from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. He was an Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor of Electrical and Com- puter Engineering at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. At Rose-Hulman, he co-created the Inte- grated, First-Year Curriculum in Science, Engineering and Mathematics, which was recognized in

Conference Session

Focus on Elementary

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ming-Chien Hsu, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Monica E. Cardella, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Senay Purzer, Purdue University, West Lafayette

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

chose to includeadditional engineering content. The EiE curriculum includes preparatory lessons that precede Page 25.512.4the EiE units and four-lesson units. Within the actual units, students read an engineeringstorybook in lesson one, learn about a specific engineering field in lesson two, collect andanalyze scientific data in lesson three and complete an engineering design challenge in lessonfour. Students practice reading, writing, mathematics and science skills integrated with theengineering skills and concepts that they are learning. The units are hands-on in nature,particularly lessons three and four. As a comparison, the instrument was

Conference Session

Student Assessments and Tests

Collection

2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Alex Phan, University of California, San Diego; Minju Kim, University of California, San Diego; Marko V. Lubarda, University of California, San Diego; Curt Schurgers, University of California, San Diego; Huihui Qi, University of California, San Diego

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods Division (ERM)

,” Anxiety, Stress and Coping, 28.2 (2015): 205-214.4. J. P. Jamieson, et al., “Optimizing stress responses with reappraisal and mindset interventions an integrated model,” Anxiety, Stress and Coping, 31.3 (2018): 245-261.5. Reckinger and Reckinger, “A Study of the Effects of Oral Proficiency Exams in Introductory Programming Courses on Underrepresented Groups,” 2022 ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition. 2022.6. Schoofs, D., R. Hartmann, and O. T. Wolf. "Neuroendocrine stress responses to an oral academic examination: No strong influence of sex, repeated participation and personality traits." Stress 11.1 (2008): 52-61. 137. L

Conference Session

NSF Grantees Poster Session II

Collection

2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Samantha Ruth Brunhaver, Arizona State University, Polytechnic campus; Holly M Matusovich, Virginia Tech; Ruth A. Streveler, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Sheri Sheppard, Stanford University; Cheryl Carrico P.E., Virginia Tech; Angela Harris, Stanford University

Tagged Topics

NSF Grantees Poster Session

. This research is funded by the NSF as acollaborative research grant (EEC-1360665, 1360956, and 1360958). Any opinions, findings,and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and donot necessarily reflect the views of the NSF.Bibliography[1] National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, 2010 SESTAT Integrated Data System, 2013, Retrieved from http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/sestat.[2] G. Lichtenstein, H. G. Loshbaugh, B. Claar, H. L. Chen, K. Jackson, and S. D. Sheppard, “An engineering major does not (necessarily) an engineer make: Career decision making among undergraduate engineering majors,” J. Eng. Ed., vol. 98, no. 3, pp. 227-234.[3] National Center

Conference Session

SE Tools and Techniques

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Shane Markstrum, Bucknell University; Gary M. Haggard, Bucknell University

Tagged Divisions

Software Engineering Constituent Committee

seamless integration of the codedeveloped by different groups. Additionally, user testing of prototype implementations adds asense of real development to the project. Since simple graph theory topics are an important aspectof a computer science education, the project also gives an opportunity for the students to presenttheir tool at local and regional computer science meetings that encourage student participation.1 IntroductionMany computer science programs include some type of capstone course in the senior year as a wayto challenge their students to apply all of the knowledge they have gained on a substantial project.However, there are typically not many opportunities in the second and third year of these programsto introduce students to a team

Conference Session

Technological Literacy and the Educated Person

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michele Dischino, Central Connecticut State University; James DeLaura, Central Connecticut State University; Patrick Foster, Central Connecticut State University; David Sianez, CCSU

Tagged Divisions

Technological Literacy Constituent Committee

productpurchases and dietary choices. At the same time, most people have very few direct, hands-onconnections to technology, except as finished consumer goods. This lack of engagement isresponsible, at least in part, for societal shortfalls in technological proficiency.In 2008, through support from the State General Assembly and Department of Education, sevenorganizations and institutions were awarded funding to develop an afterschool program designedto spark student interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). The afterschoolsetting was targeted with the goal of creating opportunities for middle and high school studentsto build STEM skills through fun, hands-on activities in a relaxed atmosphere. The partners,which include our University