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A Lego building competition, a flight simulator and a candy structure contest were all part of the 10th annual Engineering Expo at Florida International University on Feb. 25.
Approximately 1,200 elementary through high school students from Miami-Dade and Broward counties visited facilities and laboratories such as the Wall of Wind, which generates a virtual hurricane, and the Titan America Structures and Construction Testing Laboratory, where construction materials are tested to make sure they can withstand hurricanes.
“Everything that you touched or everything that you saw was engineered somewhere along the way by someone just like you, who had the opportunity to think creatively,” said College of Engineering and Computing Dean Amir Mirmiran.
Organized by the FIU College of Engineering and Computing and sponsored by the college and the FIU Student Government Association, the Expo is the one annual event where all departments, all student professional societies and all research labs work together to encourage public school students to consider a career in the engineering and science professions, where minorities are under-represented.
According to Stephanie Strange, associate director of the Office of Student Access and Success, more than 100 FIU students volunteered to guide visitors through the open facilities, which included the nanotechnology lab and the Solar House project.
This year’s opening ceremony featured Barrington Irving, the youngest person and the first African-American pilot to fly solo around the world. In 2007, Irving climbed into a single-engine plane called “Inspiration” and embarked on a 30,000 mile, round-the-world flight.
Irving said that exposing young students to new professions is a significant step in guiding them through the process of finding a fulfilling career.
“In order to accomplish flying around the word, I had focus and applied myself,” he said. “I had to take advantage of my opportunities.”
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