Penn State Engineering Ambassadors:
Professional development organization with an outreach mission
Lola Buonomo
Sophomore Mechanical Engineering
Engineering Ambassadors
Kathleen Prilutski
Junior Mechanical Engineering
Engineering Ambassadors
In 2012-2013, there are 65 Engineering Ambassadors,
of which 62% are women
2012-2013 Engineering Ambassadors
2012-2013 Engineering Ambassadors
65 Total
Aerospace Engineering
Agricultural & Biological Engineering
Architectural Engineering
Bioengineering
Chemical Engineering
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Computer Science Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Engineering Science and Mechanics
Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering
Mechanical/Nuclear Engineering
2
2
3
4
7
4
4
5
2
6
26
Currently, the Engineering Ambassadors lead student-based
outreach and recruiting for the College of Engineering
School Outreach
On Campus Recruiting
Community Events
Ambassadors are required to take two 3-credit courses
focused on communication: CAS 100 & ENGR 397
Ambassador events provide frequent speaking experiences
We communicate the messages of
Changing the Conversation in our presentations
Engineering makes
a world of difference
Engineering encourages
creativity
Engineering is essential to our
health, happiness, and safety
[National Academy of Engineering]
When visiting a school, the Ambassadors present in pairs
to both small classrooms and large assemblies
Individual science and math classes
Large auditorium assembly about careers
We reach a significant number of middle and high school
students each year
8 visits (2009-2010)
1000 students reached
10 visits (2010-2011)
2500 students reached
11 visits (2011-2012)
2900 students reached
There are very strong and positive results from teacher
feedback of the Engineering Ambassador classroom visits
Statement
Mean
The Engineering Ambassador classroom visit
increased students’ understanding of the work
of engineers
4.71
My students were very engaged during the
Engineering Ambassador classroom visit
The Engineering
Ambassador classroom
An Engineering Ambassador classroom visit
visit increased students’ understanding
could help teachers connect their course
of the
worktooftopics
engineers
content
in engineering
An Engineering Ambassador classroom visit
could help teachers connect their course
content to real world issues
In the future I would welcome another visit
from the Engineering Ambassadors
Scale 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 5 (Strongly Agree)
4.71
4.71
4.59
4.65
4.88
There are very strong and positive results from student
feedback of the Engineering Ambassador classroom visits
Scale 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 5 (Strongly Agree)
“Engineering Ambassadors came to my school and
changed everything I knew about engineering. I saw
that engineering wasn’t some boring desk job, but a
mind-stimulating field that is always changing”
Alyson Bonk
Junior Electrical Engineer
Penn State University
Engineering Ambassador 2012
To facilitate on campus recruiting we give prospective
students tours of the College of Engineering
It’s All About M.E. promotes
women’s involvement in
mechanical engineering.
Through community outreach we encourage students to
pursue a career in Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math
20 U.S. universities attended a national workshop
at Penn State in August 2012
Partner schools with an established program
Pilot schools that attended the August 2012 national workshop
Students attending the workshop received communications
training and developed an outreach presentation
Give back to the world through
engineering outreach
Grow as leaders and gain valuable
lessons from our experiences
Robotics for Disaster Relief
Lola Buonomo
Sophomore Mechanical Engineering
Engineering Ambassadors
Kathleen Prilutski
Junior Mechanical Engineering
Engineering Ambassadors
Engineers use robotics to improve our society
Natural disasters and a societal need have
stimulated research into robotics
Engineers develop robots to improve
people’s livelihoods
Newton’s Laws explain the motion
of a quadrocopter
Force= mass * acceleration
Newton’s Laws explain the motion
of a quadrocopter
Force= mass * acceleration
The total of all forces will show which way the
quadrocopter is moving
y
x
FFy11
F1y1
F2y
2
F2y
F
2
q
Fy3
F3
Fx3
mg
F3
mg
q
Using SOH CAH TOA we can determine the
components of the force
Fy3 = mgcosq
q
hmg
a
SOH
sin q =
o
h
hsinq = o
CAH
a
cosq =
h
hcosq = a
Fx3
o
= mgsinq
The total of all forces will show which way the
quadrocopter is moving
mgcosq
mgsinq
Robots are equipped with sensors and use feedback
loops to react to their environment
Reference
6
Reference
6
error
14
Gain
Control
20
20
Robots are equipped with sensors and use feedback
loops to react to their environment
Reference
6
Reference
6
error
4
Gain
Control
10
10
Robotics has made medicine and emergency
supplies more readily available
Ref.
error
G
C
Adjust the feedback loop to change how the robot
travels through the maze
Create. Connect. Change.
Penn State Engineering Ambassadors: www.engr.psu.edu/ambassadors
The Engineering Ambassadors National Network: www.engineeringambassadors.org
Backup Slides
for Questions
Michael Alley
Graduate Assistant
Graduate Intern
Adrienne Crivaro
Jordan Jozwik
Scheduling Coordinator
Rohit Ananth
Engineering Ambassadors
66 Engineering Ambassadors in 2012-2013
Our Mission Statement
“Sharing our passion and pride, we inspire middle and high
school students to challenge conventional ideas about
science and engineering. Through communication and
leadership, we strive to become world class engineers and
seek to motivate the next generation of engineers to impact
the health, happiness and safety of our world.”
5 science outreach events
80+ tours of campus
75 Campus Presentations
6500 total people reached
In 2011, through the support of United Technologies,
PSU established Ambassador programs at 3 universities
In 2012-2013, we have four industry partners
17
5
4
4
20 universities attended a national workshop
at Penn State in August 2012
Partner schools with an established program
Pilot schools that attended the August 2012 national workshop
Programs in the Engineering Ambassador Network are
characterized by four key principles
1.
2.
3.
4.
Formal teaching of advanced communication skills
Communicating messages from Changing the Conversation
Performing outreach to middle and high schools
Academically based program, not a club
There are very strong and positive results from teacher
feedback of the Engineering Ambassador classroom visits
Mean
1 The EA presentation increased students’ knowledge of the topic
2 The EA classroom visit increased students’ understanding of the work of engineers
3 The EA classroom visit made my students think about engineering in a new way
4.59
4.71
4.53
4 The EA classroom visit helped to reduce stereotypes about engineers
4.18
5 My students were very engaged during the EA classroom visit
4.71
6 My students were able to connect the presentation to their course content
4.29
7 After the EA classroom visit, students seemed interested in discussing it
4.06
8 I referred back to the EA classroom visit in another class period
4.12
9 I think that the class time used for the EA classroom visit was worthwhile
4.71
10 The EA presentation increased my understanding of the topic
4.29
11 The EA classroom visit increased my understanding of the work of engineers
4.12
12 The EA classroom visit made me think about engineering in a new way
3.94
13 The content of the EA classroom visit was relevant to the subject I teach
4.47
14 The EA classroom visit was relevant to the state curriculum standards
4.24
15 The content of the EA classroom visit was relevant to our local community
An EA classroom visit could help teachers connect their course content to topics in
16
engineering
4.24
17 An EA classroom visit could help teachers connect their course content to real world issues
4.65
State standards require me to address subject matter applications that are relevant to
engineering
Local mandates require me to address subject matter applications that are relevant to
19
engineering
18
20 In the future I would welcome another visit from the EAs
Scale 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 5 (Strongly Agree)
4.59
3.88
3.59
4.88
There are very strong and positive results from student
feedback of the Engineering Ambassador classroom visits
Scale 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 5 (Strongly Agree)