Engineering What is it, and why would I want to do it? Alexandra Chau Mechanical Engineering Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA Stephanie Dalquist Chemical Engineering

Why are we here? MIT program to get high school students interested in engineering Ground rules –Ask questions at any time, but be respectful –No question is stupid –Have fun!

Kinds of engineering Aerospace Chemical Computer Electrical Environmental Materials Mechanical

Ice breaker Find something in the room that an engineer had to design Tell us who you are, what your object is, and what kind of engineer designed it Toss the ball to someone else, be prepared to catch a candy!

Discussion What do you think engineering is? What are your stereotypes of engineers?

Women in Engineering In the US, women comprise… –51% of the population –45% of the workforce –But only 9% of engineers

Benefits of being an engineer New and challenging work Cutting edge field –Research, patents, publications Benefit to society Many career options –Research, Academics, Industry, Medicine, Law, Business, Policy High demand –1.5 Million in the US alone Money –Average $50K starting salary

Demonstration: Bouncy balls Snap mold together; pour in powder –One, two, or more colors! –Shake mold gently while pouring Place in water for 1 minute Remove from water After 3 minutes, take ball from mold

What is happening? Two primary ingredients –Polyvinyl acetate (Elmer’s Glue) –Borax (laundry detergent) Separates into borate ions when dissolved in water Borate ions form bridges connecting PVA, making a cross-linked polymer Also does hydrogen bonding between oxygen and hydrogen Results in three dimensional polymer with extra space for water molecules

Why does the ball bounce? Elastic material –Ball deforms as it hits the ground, then back to original shape and into air –Ball bounces off the floor because floor pushes it up! Conservation of energy –Ball loses some energy as friction and heat –Does not bounce as high as original “drop”

Becoming an engineer College Prep –Solid math background Take math classes, including calculus –At least two years of science classes Chemistry, biology, and/or physics –Pursue other interests as well Foreign languages, arts and music Extra-curriculars: sports, debate, communityservice, etc. Summer programs Relevant work experience –Do things you are passionate about –Be heavily involved in a few activities, rather than slightly involved in everything

Becoming an engineer Engineering schools in your area UVM WPI UNH RPI Top engineering schools Georgia Tech U. Michigan MIT Stanford Berkeley Cal Tech Carnegie Mellon Cornell

Summary “Engineering” encompasses many fields and applications – a huge number of choices Engineering is a satisfying and lucrative career where you can interact with a diverse group of people Planning for your future starts now

Acknowledgements Thanks to everyone who made this possible: Massachusetts Institute of Technology Microsoft Texas Instruments Your school and teachers YOU!

Keep in touch Alexandra Chau 362 Memorial Drive #435 Cambridge MA Stephanie Dalquist 3 Ames Street #39 Cambridge MA

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