Department News Reaching Out to Young Engineers T
he Carnegie Mellon Institute for Talented Elementary and Secondary Students program—commonly known as C-MITES—was created to provide challenging classes for academically talented students, outside their own schools. Local children who have scored at the 95th percentile on a standardized test—or who participate in a gifted program—can register for weekend workshops, summer programs, or other educational opportunities that bring them together with Carnegie Mellon faculty, researchers, and students. Topics range from creative writing to robotics, spanning the breadth of knowledge at Carnegie Mellon.
The three-hour course is a scaled-down version of MechE’s first-year wrench design project.
In the new C-MITES workshop, middle school students learn basic principles of mechanical engineering.
In a new C-MITES workshop created by Professor Jack Beuth of MechE and Assistant Professor Carolyn Rosé from the Human-Computer Interaction Institute, local middle-school stu- dents have the opportunity to learn hands-on lessons in mechanical engineering. This three-hour course is a simplified version of the wrench design project offered to first-year MechE students. In the C-MITES workshop, the young engineers use
Pro/ENGINEER to create a computer-aided design (CAD) model MechE Staff Updates
Secretary Bobbi Kostyak was recently honored at a staff recogni- tion ceremony—presided over by the College of Engineering’s Dean Pradeep Khosla—for her 10 years of service, all within the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Always offering a helping hand and a kind smile, Kostyak is an appreciated member of the MechE staff, and the Department offers its congratulations on her past and future achievements at Carnegie Mellon. . . . . .
The Department recently welcomed Administrative Assistant Melissa Cross to its staff.A “Jane of all trades,” Cross has already been a big help to MechE, handling event planning, prospective student visits, payroll, and receptionist duties, as well as assisting the graduate and undergraduate coordinators. A 2009 graduate of Duquesne University, Cross earned a B.A. in Art History and a
6 I C ARNEGIE M ECH
of a wrench. Next, they visit the MechE student machine shop to see the actual machining of their wrench and learn about rapid prototyping. Finally, the middle-school students work in teams to develop ideas that will lead to a better wrench. These ideas are reviewed by a software agent that interjects comments and questions to keep students on task. For Beuth and Rosé, the new C-MITES course is designed not only to help workshop attendees—but also to collect longer-term insights about how young engineers actually learn. The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded funding to Beuth and Rosé so that they can study more effective teaching methods for com- puter-aided engineering projects. As C-MITES students interact with the software agent in the final phase of the course, the Carnegie Mellon faculty members are observing and recording their levels of engagement and active learning. An example of the Department’s efforts to engage young people
in engineering topics, the new C-MITES course is giving students hands-on lessons in technical design, ergonomics, costs, and other design issues—as well as collecting information about learning that will benefit future generations of engineering students, no matter their age. •
Melissa Cross
second B.A. in Classical Civilizations. After six months as a Customer Service Repre- sentative at the Carnegie Museums of Art and Natural History, Cross came to Carnegie Mellon. While at Duquesne, Cross worked for the campus radio station for four years as a Business Assistant. While her responsibilities were quite different, Cross’ familiarity with working in an
academic setting has made for an easy transition to MechE.“The staff members have been great,” says Cross. “They’ve all been really welcoming and helpful as I’ve adjusted.”With her organizational skills and positive demeanor, Cross is sure to contribute to the Department’s future success.•
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20