The University of Louisville Alumni Magazine: for alumni, faculty, staff, students and anyone that is a UofL Cardinal fan.
Issue link: https://louisville.epubxp.com/i/43017
A C R O S S C A M P U S 'Summer school' is all about fun at engineering camps There was a much younger crowd taking classes all around the J.B. Speed School of Engi- neering over the summer — from third-graders to high school students — but organizers hope it's just a matter of time before they choose engineering as their career path and return to enroll. The Speed School's engineering fundamentals department offers many outreach programs throughout the school year, as well as during summer camps, aimed at promot- ing engineering as a profession and encouraging students to plan early in boosting their needed science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills. The long-running Brown-Forman INSPIRE summer enrichment program, organized by Foundation for the future Former University of Cincinnati (UC) adminis- trator Neville Pinto, PhD, has taken over the reins as dean of the J.B. Speed School of Engineering. He began his new duties Sept. 1. "I see this as a privilege and a tremendous oppor- tunity," Pinto said, noting he had been impressed by the commitment of both Speed School and UofL leadership when he fi rst visited the campus. Pinto was UC's vice provost and graduate school dean since 2006, after serving in its College of Engineering in various posts, including assistant dean for graduate studies, chemical engineering department chair and chemical engineering professor. He joined the UC faculty in 1985. Pinto holds a doctorate and master's degree in chemical engineering from The Pennsylvania State University and an undergraduate degree in chemical engineering from Indian Institute of Technology in New Delhi. Pinto was elected to the National Academy of Inventors last year, and he has also received numerous teaching awards. He is a member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, American Society for Engineering Education and Tau Beta Pi engi- neering honor society. "Dean Pinto was the unanimous choice of the committees and in- dividuals who met him," UofL Provost Shirley Wil- lihnganz said. "With his successful experience in academic and adminis- trative positions, we are confi dent he will lead our renowned engineering program to even greater prominence." Pinto succeeds Dean Mickey Wilhelm, who announced last year he would step down from the post he had since 2004 to return to the industrial engineering faculty, which he joined in 1975. "While we're very excited to have Dean Pinto join the UofL family, we are also ex- traordinarily apprecia- tive of Dean Wilhelm," Willihnganz said. "His loyalty and experience have been invaluable, and, under his leader- ship, the Speed School has continued to thrive and excel." FALL UOFL MAGAZINE|35 Brenda Hart, brought 30 high school students to campus for three weeks in June to intro- duce them to the various engineering career options. The free program (Increasing Student Preparedness and Interest in the Prerequisites for Engineering) is particularly geared to minority and female students, who traditionally are underrepresented in engineering fi elds. INSPIRE students learned about career exploration and college preparation, toured GE's Appliance Park and Brown-Forman Corp., received a sampling from Speed School faculty members about various areas of study, participated in hands-on activities such as concrete mixing and explored laboratories — including UofL's "cleanroom" for microelec- tronics and nanotechnology and the rapid prototyping center. Gary Rivoli, director of Speed School outreach programs, helped younger students in sessions ranging from "LEGO Mindstorms Robotics" to "A Measure of Engineering," designed to boost middle school students' engineering drawing and measurement skills. He also worked with elementary and middle school teachers in their professional develop- ment camps, teaching the LEGO Robotics programs. Rivoli works year-round with hands-on student projects, including "Engineering is Fundamental," a program for elementary schools, and "In the Middle of Engineering," for middle schools. More than 150 area students got a taste of skills competition during a poolside "card- board regatta" at Woodhaven Country Club. Their cardboard-and-duct-tape creations had to carry a full two-liter soda bottle and could be push powered, wind powered or run by small, battery-powered motors. Prizes were awarded for best decorated, fastest powered and fastest non-powered models. They also got to watch a high school version of the contest with two-person cardboard craft. The video may be viewed at uofl .me/qFumuE. J.B. SPEED SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING