Baylor School of Engineering and Computer Science and the Mayborn Museum Complex Celebrate National Engineers Week Feb. 18-23

Media Contact: Jill Anderson, ECS director of marketing and communications, 254-710-6826

WACO, Texas (Feb. 16, 2018) – Founded by the National Society of Professional Engineers in 1951, National Engineers Week seeks to increase the understanding of and interest in engineering and technology careers. The week coincides each year with President George Washington’s birthday on Feb. 22, as he is considered the nation’s first engineer.

Baylor’s School of Engineering and Computer Science (ECS) celebrates ECS Week through Friday, Feb. 23.

“ECS Week is aimed at growing community and celebrating the STEM fields,” said Sarah Elliott, senior mechanical engineering major and president of Baylor’s chapter of the Society of Women Engineers. “We want to remind students why they’re doing what they’re doing and that they have so many people on their side. ECS Week also strives to raise awareness about the endless opportunities through STEM to young students.”

Elliott and co-leader, Elliott Jost, senior mechanical engineering major and president of the Baylor chapter of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), have worked to plan and organize events for this week, through Feb. 23.

“The events are decided partially on the basis of tradition and partially on the basis of what will make the biggest impact,” Jost said. “We try to have a balance of professional development events, such as the keynote speaker and industry panel, as well as social events like the Pinewood Derby and Amazing Race. These social events help to build the Baylor ECS community and unite the different disciplines in friendly ECS-based competition.”

Elliott and Jost also have collaborated with the Mayborn Museum Complex to organize daily activities – from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily through Friday. Activities include Squishy circuits, marble roller coasters, 3D printing, graphite circuits, a steadiness tester, gear reduction and dome building.

Collaboration with the Mayborn Museum Complex was possible through Portal to the Public, a National Science Foundation funded initiative led by the Pacific Science Center in Seattle, Washington, to improve the effectiveness of science communication by presenting relevant research in science, technology, engineering and math.

Hidden Heroes, a panel discussion, was organized with help from Fred Logan, ECS Board of Advocates member, will take place at 3 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 20, in the Mayborn Museum SBC Theatre. The panel features Dennis O’Neal, Ph.D., ECS dean; Ian Gravagne, Ph.D., associate professor and graduate program director of electrical and computer engineering; Rick Tullis, president of Capstone Mechanical; Lauren Dreyer, director of human resources and business operations at SpaceX; and Larry Groth, former Waco city manager.

“The more I get into mechanical engineering and involved in the ECS community, the more I love it,” Elliott said. “I have found my passion in using my technical skills to serve and lead. I aspire to be an influential leader in the future and make a positive impact on the world.”

Jost echoed those thoughts.

“Engineering is amazing,” Jost said. “The research that goes into building amazing and incredible projects like the F-35, race cars or aircraft carriers is baffling and I want to be a part of creating the science that makes those projects possible.”

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 17,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.

ABOUT THE SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND COMPUTER SCIENCE
With more than 10 percent of Baylor University’s freshman class pursuing major courses of study in the School of Engineering and Computer Science (ECS), the focus remains on preparing graduates for professional practice and responsible leadership with a Christian world view. ECS majors include bioinformatics, computer science, electrical and computer engineering, general engineering and mechanical engineering. Among ECS graduate programs are Master of Science and Ph.D. degrees in all disciplines, and several dual-degree programs. The Teal Residential College for Engineering and Computer Science, in which students and faculty live, fosters the pursuit of wisdom, academic excellence and meaningful relationships for the development of diverse, innovative leaders.

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY’S MAYBORN MUSEUM COMPLEX
The Mayborn Museum Complex at Baylor University provides a wide spectrum of learning opportunities to engage visitors of all ages. The exhibits and education programs encourage families to learn together and design their own museum experience. This complex features a natural science and cultural history museum focusing on Central Texas with walk-in dioramas including one on the Waco Mammoth Site. The Mayborn Museum Complex also encompasses a multi-floor science discovery center encouraging hands-on learning for all ages and the Gov. Bill & Vara Daniel Historic Village. The nine wood frame buildings that comprise the village, provide a glimpse into the past, bringing to life a community in the 1890s.