Baylor’s School of Engineering and Computer Science Students Host Activities to Celebrate Engineer’s Week, Feb. 19-25
Media contact: Jill Anderson, ECS director of marketing and communications, (254) 710-6826 (office) or (254) 315-6581 (cell)
WACO, Texas (Feb. 17, 2017) – In recognition of National Engineer’s Week, Feb. 19-25, Baylor Engineering and Computer Science (ECS) students joined together to plan ECS Week, their adaptation of the event. The group organized activities that provide professional development opportunities, educate students about the value of careers in engineering and computer science, and foster community among Baylor’s engineering and computer science students.
The week will kick off with an egg drop competition on Feb. 20 at the East Village Parking Garage from 5 to 6 p.m. Baylor’s future engineers will compete in designing an apparatus to protect an egg from its fall off the top of the parking garage without breaking. Industry panels, demos and a pinewood derby all follow during the week, with an Amazing Race finale on Friday, Feb. 24.
“These events are designed to get students excited about ECS careers and show them the opportunities they present,” said Elliott Jost, Chair of the Baylor Chapter of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the ECS Week Planning Committee.
Adding to the excitement of the week, the ECS Undergraduate Programs office partnered with the Academy for Leadership Development within Baylor Student Life to bring Dr. Jedidah Isler to speak at the Ladies and Legos event on Feb. 22, sponsored by the Halliburton Foundation. Isler was the first African-American woman to graduate from Yale with a Ph.D. in Astrophysics, and is now an award-winning astrophysicist, TED Fellow, and nationally recognized speaker and advocate for inclusive STEM education.
“I thought the night sky was beautiful. The sky was mesmerizing and I couldn’t get enough of it as a child,” Isler said on how she became interested in astrophysics.
She’ll be on campus to share her story and promote conversation about diversity in engineering.
For a full list of the events scheduled for the week, visit the ECS Week website.
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 degrees in biomedical engineering, computer science, electrical and computer engineering, and mechanical engineering, Ph.D. programs in computer science, electrical and computer engineering and mechanical engineering, and several dual degree programs. The Teal Residential College, in which engineering and computer science students and faculty live, fosters the pursuit of wisdom, academic excellence, and meaningful relationships for the development of diverse, innovative leaders.
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 16,000 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.