MAKING THE ‘GRADE’: FUTURE
WOMEN ENGINEERS CONVERGE AT UH
Camp Opens Doors, Provides Head Start for High School Girls
HOUSTON, March 31, 2005 – The University of Houston is taking
steps to level the playing field of engineering for females who
are considering a career in this area of study.
Now in its third year, GRADE (Girls Reaching and Demonstrating
Excellence) Camp, a summer camp for high school girls entering grades
9 through 12, is now taking applications. Offered by the UH Cullen
College of Engineering, GRADE Camp continues to provide a much-needed
resource to support this often underrepresented demographic in the
field of engineering.
“GRADE Camp is an excellent opportunity for high school females
who are either curious about or want more experience with engineering,”
said Jenny Ruchhoeft, program director for GRADE. “Participants
not only get to interact with female engineering students and faculty,
but also get to speak candidly with female engineers working in
the Houston area. And that’s just the networking and continuity
aspect. The crux of the camp is the robotics project.”
In the mornings, UH faculty members teach GRADE campers about underlying
engineering theory, such as voltage and currents, motors and generators,
and feedback control. They then apply that knowledge during the
labs each afternoon. In addition to having a working, autonomous
robot at the end of the week, the girls have a solid understanding
of their robots’ inner-workings and fundamental mechanics.
“The whole camp is very hand’s on and is lots of fun,”
Ruchhoeft said. “Plus, we cater the program to girls at all
levels of engineering knowledge and confidence. They are mentored
by Society of Women Engineers (SWE) undergraduates and receive as
much or as little guidance as needed. Girls can even request to
be paired up with a friend.”
On the last day of the camp, the girls present their week’s
work to parents and teachers. As a result of seeing what the campers
learned, many have requested that the camp expand. Plans currently
are under way to create an alternate curriculum for the summer of
2006 to showcase environmental engineering.
Even after GRADE Camp is finished, participants are encouraged to
foster long-term connections with professional engineers through
events such as the Texas Space Center SWE holiday party. Last year,
Bonnie Dunbar, NASA astronaut and UH engineering graduate, was the
featured speaker at the party.
“Education is the cornerstone of our civilization,”
Dunbar said. “The pursuit of science and engineering provides
the framework for our quality of life and the exploration of new
worlds.”
Four camps will be offered during the summer of 2005: June 20-24,
June 27-July 1, July 11-15 and July 18-22. Each weeklong camp costs
$200, and camp scholarship applications are available for students
with financial needs. All girls who complete the camp become eligible
for a one-time $1,000 scholarship if they decide to attend UH, enrolling
in an engineering, natural science or mathematics major their freshman
year. GRADE Camp is funded through grants from Texas Workforce Development
and the National Science Foundation.
“Providing knowledge about what engineering is and which math
and science high school courses are needed before applying to an
undergraduate engineering program helps girls make strategic, informed
choices,” said Eloisa Avalos, one of the camp’s mentors.
“I went from one major to another until I found engineering,
because I didn’t know about it when I started college. That’s
what is great about this camp – they’ll know what it
is coming in.”
For more information, visit http://www.egr.uh.edu/camps/grade.
About the University of Houston
The University of Houston, Texas’ premier metropolitan research
and teaching institution, is home to more than 40 research centers
and institutes and sponsors more than 300 partnerships with corporate,
civic and governmental entities. UH, the most diverse research university
in the country, stands at the forefront of education, research and
service with more than 35,000 students.
About the Cullen College of Engineering
UH Cullen College of Engineering has produced five U.S. astronauts,
ten members of the National Academy of Engineering, and degree programs
that have ranked in the top ten nationally. With more than 2,600
students, the college offers accredited undergraduate and graduate
degrees in biomedical, chemical, civil and environmental, electrical
and computer, industrial, and mechanical engineering. It also offers
specialized programs in aerospace, materials, petroleum engineering
and telecommunications.
To receive UH science news via e-mail, visit www.uh.edu/admin/media/sciencelist.html.
For more information about UH visit the universitys Newsroom at www.uh.edu/admin/media/newsroom.
|