By Michael Paulk
Lyle School of Engineering
Dallas (SMU) – Will teens in 2020 have holographic cell phones? Voice texting capability? 3D TVs? Find out what Dallas-area middle school students dream and devise for our future at Visioneering 2011, presented Saturday, February 26 by the SMU Lyle School of Engineering and Texas Instruments.
The 11th annual Visioneering opens with a concert-caliber digital music presentation followed by a technology expo and design contest; the event runs from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at SMU’s Moody Coliseum and classrooms throughout campus.
Academia and industry partner to present engineering as a fun, exciting, and challenging career opportunity to students who will need a strong background in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) coursework to major in and succeed in engineering.
Among the high tech visionaries sharing the spotlight at the MTV™-style rally, SMU Lyle’s Dr. Scott Douglas, professor of electrical engineering and high tech entrepreneur, will share with a packed Moody Coliseum how new recording techniques transform the musical landscape.
Approximately 1,000 students from DFW-area middle schools and their teachers will move from the opening rally to classrooms for team competitions led by mentoring engineers representing Texas Instruments, Fluor, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, and The Pettinger Foundation.
“Studies show that only 5 percent of the U.S. population serves as engineers, scientists, advanced degree technologists, and full-time innovators,” says Tammy L. Richards, Associate Dean of the SMU Lyle School of Engineering. “If we want to reach the next generation, we need to start years before college, bringing math and science to life for students who may equate these subjects with one-dimensional theories in a textbook.”
Along with sister programs The Infinity Project and the Engineering Camps for Girls, Visioneering was designed to entice young students to pursue higher education and careers in science and engineering with hands-on experiments and real-world applications that demonstrate the life-changing power of engineering.
The day concludes in Southern Methodist University’s Moody Coliseum with a tech expo showcasing the latest innovations from Dallas-area technology and engineering companies, an exciting closing rally, and an awards ceremony spotlighting team achievements in the design competition.
“We want students to know that techies can be rock stars, too,” says Richards. “They just engineer Top 40 hits from the studio, not the stage. Visioneering demonstrates how engineers lend creativity to everything from personal technology that entertains us, to clean energy that sustains us.”
About the SMU Lyle School of Engineering
The SMU Lyle School of Engineering is committed to developing the new American engineer, one prepared to excel and lead in creating new economic opportunities while meeting the most difficult challenges facing society. The Lyle School maintains a steadfast focus on using engineering to address important issues both at home and around the world.
Founded in 1925, the Lyle School is one of the oldest engineering schools in the Southwest. The school offers eight undergraduate and 29 graduate programs, including both masters and doctorate levels.
About SMU Lyle’s Visioneering
Visioneering combines a technology expo and a design contest to present engineering as a fun, exciting, and challenging career opportunity to students who will need a strong background in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) coursework to major in and succeed in engineering.
The event is co-sponsored by the SMU Lyle School of Engineering, Texas Instruments, Fluor, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, and The Pettinger Foundation. This is the 11th Visioneering event sponsored by the SMU Lyle School of Engineering. For information on Visioneering 2011, visit http://www.smu.edu/Lyle/K-12/Visioneering.aspx
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