Lexington, KY - The University of Kentucky will hold its 66th annual Engineers Day, or E-Day, this month, drawing students, faculty and businesses together in Lexington to show and tell the many dimensions of engineering.
The event is dedicated to promoting math and science literacy for a well-educated future engineering workforce, according to the UK Engineers Day website, www.engr.uky.edu/eday/.
"Displays and competitions serve as a way to demystify engineering to the public," said Tom Lester, dean of the UK College of Engineering. "It's a way of trying to excite the interest in young students about potential careers in this field, but to educate parents, too."
Math and science are two words that don't tickle everyone's fancy, but when robotic arms and comically involved contraptions are involved, things get interesting.
Newton's Attic, a local private educational research agency, will bring a cart with a robotic arm that kids will be able to manipulate, and among many contests included on the agenda is a competition for the best Rube Goldberg invention.
"Rube Goldberg is anti-engineering, where you do things as inefficiently as possible. Goldberg was a comic artist whose work always looked like a patent application from a mad scientist, " explained Bruce Walcott, associate dean of the College of Engineering. "Students have a good deal of fun but also have to illustrate sound engineering principles using unsound devices."
About 20 contests will be set up by the college for children and high school students, from building edible cars to constructing Popsicle stick bridges. While the competitions add to the fun for the students who are involved, the bigger goal for E-Day is to open the college and the field of engineering to the community in general, as well as the next potential crop of engineers.
"Because we take tax dollars to fund our budget, we want the public to be aware of where their money is going; we open the doors to them so they can see that," Walcott said.
Businesses will play an important role in this event as well.
According to Lexmark employee, Lisa Doctrow, Lexmark will have about 40 participating employees conducting hands-on activities that touch on key principles like product sustainability, ink technology, color science and motors and controllers.
Participating businesses have a vested interested in keeping engineering students in the local job pool.
"Every engineer in our office is a graduate of UK's engineering program, so there's a desire to be supportive and a loyalty to remain an integral part of the program," said Lochner regional marketing coordinator Laura Mize.
Businesses are still encouraged to get involved and can find information on the Engineers Day website, www.engr.uky.edu/eday.