Students get hands-on lessons in engineering

Middle and high school students got a taste of college engineering this week at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford.   

Students in the university’s weeklong engineering technology camp are learning about several types of engineering from Pitt-Bradford engineering technology faculty and using the facilities at the university’s new $24.5 million George B. Duke Engineering and Information Technologies Building.  

Students are learning about mechanical engineering technology by exploring aspects of Computer-Aided Design (CAD). Through CAD lessons with Aaron Straus, creative engineering coordinator, they learned how to create sketches, bodies and components of a stamp assembly in AutoCAD Fusion 360, which students also produce 2d blueprints of and 3d print.

Straus also leads the students through an icebreaker challenge each morning such as creating a 2-foot-tall tower out of nothing but paper and tape that can hold a small object. After clusters of students worked on their towers, Straus conducted a debrief with the teams, asking them about what inspired their designs, commenting on how they incorporated design elements such as guywires and triangles.   

Each day a guest member of the engineering faculty works with students in their specific area. Dr. Michael Liu, assistant professor of mechanical engineering technology, talked with students about civil versus mechanical engineering and stress testing.

Campers were the first to see the university’s new wind tunnel in action as Dr. Beth Rezaie, assistant professor of mechanical engineering technology talked with them about aerodynamics. Dr. Matt Kropf, associate professor of engineering technology, talked with students about how sensors turn on and off systems like headlights in a vehicle.

In the machine shop, students had a chance to use the university’s lathe and milling machines to learn how axles are made. On the final day, students took part in a robotics simulation, assembled 3D-printed cars and raced them.
The engineering camp was the first of four science, technology, engineering and math camps being offered for middle- and high-school aged students this summer. Remaining camps are as follows: 

Crime Scene Investigation – Help Solve Case 16701 with Dr. Robin Choo and Dr. Charles Choo, grades 7-9. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 10-14. $110 includes a T-shirt and lunch daily in the KOA Dining Room. Solve the disappearance of absent-minded, good-natured Prof. Smith. Learn how to investigate a crime scene: lift fingerprints, take shoe castings, study DNA fingerprinting, analyze blood splatter and more. Use chemistry, biology and physics to solve mini crimes along the way. Topics include forensic geology, anthropology, toxicology and entomology along with crime scene investigation.

Virtual Reality World with computer information systems and technology instructor Jeremy Callinan, grades 6-9. 9 a.m. to noon July 10, 12 and 14. $75 includes T-shirt. Check out the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Valve Index, Nintendo Switch Labo, and more interactive augmented reality and virtual reality experiences. Experience VR/AR multiplayer games, art VR programs like Google Tilt Brush, and learn about creating games and environments using Unity and other popular technologies. Campers will also learn how to create their own VR apps and experience the VR world embracing the future digital space – the Metaverse!

Video Game Development with computer information systems and technology instructor Jeremy Callinan, grades 6-9. 9 a.m. to noon July 17, 19 and 21. $75 includes T-shirt. Campers will get an introduction to the current game-development toolkits for PC, Sony PlayStation, Nintendo Switch and Xbox One. They will also use C Sharp and JavaScript to learn video game programming, game mechanics and coding for common game scenarios. Campers learn about 3D modeling and will use Unity to show how games are created, tested and published.

To learn more about camps at Pitt-Bradford this summer or register, visit upb.pitt.edu/summer.

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