Summer Engineering Academy (Sea), An Innovative University Industry Partnership To Improve The Recruitment Of Qualified High School Students Into Engineering Disciplines

Abstract

To improve the number of qualified high school students entering into engineering disciplines, the University of Arizona (UA) and local businesses have created a program called the Summer Engineering Academy or (SEA). The SEA program has proven to be highly successful during the summers of 1999 and 2000. The idea behind the SEA program is to show students how a concept becomes reality. On this program, student teams designed and rapid prototyped aerodynamic vehicles using SolidWorks™ and Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) for Computer Aided Design (CAD) and rapid prototyping (RP), respectively. In 1999, two groups of 35 freshmen-sophomores and 47 junior-seniors participated, while in the 2000 program, 52 freshmen-sophomores and 40 junior-seniors attended. Out of the students who attended the program in 1999, 27 students from the senior batch have enrolled in the University of Arizona engineering programs. In both of the programs, 68 female students and 57 students from under-represented groups participated. The students were taught concepts of materials science, aerodynamics, CAD, and rapid prototyping by faculty from UA. The students visualized and modeled to prepare CAD files of the cars. The parts were built using a Fused Deposition Modeler. The vehicles were then tested in a wind tunnel and prizes were awarded for the best aerodynamic design. The students also toured the ACR and Raytheon rapid prototyping facilities during the weeklong program. The design and model competition results were presented to the parents and faculty members of the College of Engineering.