STEM Workshops 2017-2018

On 12/5/2017 students participated in the STEM Workshop: The Benefits of Open Source and Arduino/Guest Speaker: Carlos Egas. The event took place in the new Student Success Center. Students learned how the Arduino platform gives pre-wiring and free code libraries that let users concentrate on testing an idea instead of spending time building supporting circuitry or writing tons of low level codes. Arduino is an open source computer hardware and software company, project, and user community that designs and manufactures single-board microcontrollers and microcontroller kits for building digital devices and interactive objects that can sense and control objects in the physical world.

On 1/22/2018 students participated in the STEM Workshop: Interactive Engineering Design/Guest Speaker: Professor Yaraida Berrios. The event took place in the new Student Success Center. Students learned how microcontrollers are good at controlling small devices In this circuit the transistor acts as a switch and it allows you to turn on the relay. This circuit works for relays using 5, 9, or 12 volts (the common trigger voltages for relays). Arduino board’s 5V volt output can eliminate the need for another power source. Students were reminded of the need to protect the microprocessor from back EMF current and that is what the diode is doing.

On 1/25/2018 students participated in in the STEM Workshop: Movie Analysis of “Hidden Figures”/Guest Speakers: Professor Nestor Canales and Professor Lori Huertas. The event took place in the new Student Success Center. Hidden Figures is a 2016 American biographical film, based on the book by Margot Lee Shetterly about a minority female mathematicians who worked at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) during the Space Race<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Race>. Hidden Figures has taken not only the box office by storm, but the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education world as well. As a leading Oscar contender, it is helping to elevate the ongoing conversation surrounding minorities in STEM. Studies show that female and male students actually perform equally well in mathematics and science on standardized tests, but larger gaps exist between students of different racial and ethnic backgrounds or family income.

On 2/1/2018 students will participate in in the STEM Workshop: The Benefits of AutoCAD/Guest Speaker: Professor Victor Uribe. The event will take place in the new Student Success Center. AutoCAD is software for drafting and design, formally known as CAD software. CAD stands for Computer Assisted Drafting/Design. AutoCAD runs on a PC under a Windows operating systems. Autodesk introduced AutoCAD in December, 1982 and it has long been a leader in the CAD field. AutoCAD is a principal component of Mechanical Desktop.

On 2/7/2018 students will participate in in the STEM Workshop: Steps to Take the Professional Engineering Licensure Exam/Guest Speaker: Professor Fielhauer. The event will take place in the new Student Success Center. Professional licensure protects the public by enforcing standards that restrict practice to qualified individuals who have met specific qualifications in education, work experience, and exams. In the United States, licensure for the engineering and surveying professions is regulated by state. Candidates interested in pursuing licensure are encouraged to check the requirements in the state or territory where they plan to practice, as the requirements vary.

On 3/8/2018 students will participate in in the STEM Workshop: Getting Started with Texas Instruments Inspire Calculators/Guest Speaker: Beth Smith. The event will take place in the new Student Success Center. The TI-Nspire™ CX CAS provides algebraic capability to symbolically solve equations, factor and expand variable expressions, complete the square, find antiderivatives, computer limits and exact solutions in irrational forms, making it a robust hands-learning tool that satisfies math and science curriculum needs in college.