engineering what is it, and why would i want to do it? alexandra chau mechanical engineering...
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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 areaUVM WPI UNH RPI
• Top engineering schools
Georgia TechU. 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 02139
Stephanie Dalquist
3 Ames Street #39
Cambridge MA 02142-1305
http://web.mit.edu/skd/www/vermont
Wrap up
• Fill out the survey for a chance to win Microsoft software
• Have a question we didn’t answer? Ask away!