Have You Thanked an Engineer Today?
Tina Vossugh
Get ready for National Engineers Week.
The work of engineers is all around you. The apps on your smartphone that make life easier. The cloud that lets you access files from work or home. Even the sign that tells you it’s safe to cross the street was the handiwork of an engineer.
It’s National Engineering Week and the School of Engineering is excited. Seven days to recognize all of the life-changing innovations of engineers, and what better way to celebrate than by seeing what the next generation of engineers is working on right here on campus.
The School of Engineering is hosting a week of activities leading up to the Engineering Research Showcase on Friday. Cutting-edge projects like that of Assistant Professor Emre Araci and his team of student researchers will be on display. They’ve developed a highly sensitive built-in sensor for contact lenses which measure eye pressure to help early detection and prevent vision loss through glaucoma. The event is open to the public and will be held on the third floor of Guadalupe Hall from 4 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
This watercolor by Aleisha Nelson ’17 will be part of the eWeek Art Show.
Other events include an outdoor celebration to kick off the week on Tuesday, Feb. 20 and the annual Lunch with an Entrepreneur Series which features Aaron Weast ’99, director of innovation engineering at Nike and co-founder of DrinkShrub—a special soft drink made entirely of natural ingredients.
“eWeek is truly a celebration of the students,” says Michelle Schuette, events manager for the School of Engineering. “We expect about 500 engineering undergraduates, graduates, Ph.D., faculty, and staff to join us this year for the official eWeek lunch.”
The ninth annual eWeek Art Show is Feb. 20-23. Paintings, drawings, and mixed media art created by engineering students, faculty, and staff will be on display on the third floor of Guadalupe Hall.
“A lot of engineers have this creative side that they don’t always get to show,” says Schuette. “So we try to give them an opportunity during eWeek.”
Grace Ling ’19, a bioengineering major and computer engineering minor, submitted three of of her original works to the art show this year. Two of the pieces come from an educational virtual reality game she created herself, called “Cell-fie.”
“We’re hoping that folks will be able to see the intersection of art and engineering. And maybe they’ll see themselves in the art and it will open something within themselves,” explains Schuette.
Click here to see the full list of eWeek activities.