Hands-On Experience

Transcript

Okay, now we’re going to hear from Justin. He’s a junior majoring in Mechanical Engineering, and he’s going to tell us about the real world projects that engineering students can get involved with through all four years of their undergraduate experience. Wait until you hear about the internships and hands-on learning that is accessible for engineering students at UE. Okay, Justin, you’re up.

– Thanks, Alex. What’s up, everyone? Coming from a small Illinois high school with a graduating class of only 100 students, I knew what was important to me entering the college search. I was looking for a university that could offer me a tight knit, caring community. And that’s exactly what I found at UE. Within just a few weeks into my first semester, I was placed on a project team with other mechanical engineering students, where we worked closely with a faculty advisor to explore real, practical engineering methods. The project required us to create thorough design sketches, mathematical analyses, and detailed CAD models to satisfy the project objectives. We ended up with a fully functioning tennis ball launcher, utilizing only surgical tubing, an air cylinder, and common construction materials. This early exposure to an in-depth example of the engineering process has equipped me with skills that I have carried with me throughout my coursework here at UE. This includes my senior-led engineering project, where we are performing unique research on our thermosiphon device to present data at the National Conference for Undergraduate Research. Another more recent and exciting engineering project on our campus is the Walnut Streetscape. A few years ago, the city of Evansville announced the project on the street that runs directly through our campus. The design featured five new pedestrian crosswalks, raised speed tables, upgraded signage, upgraded lighting, and a pedestrian plaza. This project has been completed, and it is a huge improvement on our campus. I couldn’t be more grateful to have selected such an amazing university to grow me as both a student and a future engineer. Back to you, Alex.

– That was fantastic, Justin. Thanks for telling us about those great projects. We appreciate you being part of The College Tour and sharing your experiences here at UE. Take care.