Pre-EWeek Information Engineering Pre-EWeek Information

What is engineering? Engineering combines the fields of science and math to solve real life problems that improve the world around us. If you use it, chances are an engineer designed it Reference: Link to video on YouTube about what engineering is

What types of engineers are there? Reference: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/types-of-engineers-and-what-they-do.html

How do you become an engineer? Take science and math classes in high school Go to college to earn a Bachelor of Science degree 4+ years of college at an accredited university Participate in an internship or coop work experience Typically 3-6 months For further specialization earn a higher degree Master of Science degree (2 more years) PhD degree (4-6+ more years) Reference: http://www.tryengineering.org/explore-engineering/become-engineer

Engineering as a career Engineering can be a very rewarding career Innovation & Cutting edge technology Development of products that change the world Turn your ideas into real products Work with teams from around the world Make a good salary Average salary = $85K/year (that’s almost $43 an hour!) Tremendous flexibility Work at a job site Travel (domestic and international) Some engineers even work from home! Reference: Link to Engineering Salary Info

Is engineering right for me? Are you curious about how things work? Do you like to take things apart? Do you like to experiment with stuff? Do you have ideas about ways to improve things? Do you enjoy math and science? Would you like to help make the world better for people? If you answered yes to any of these questions, engineering may be for you! Reference Video (6:29): Is engineering right for me? Engineering quiz: What kind of engineer should you be?

10 Reasons to Love Engineering Love your work and have time to live your life too Opportunity to be creative Work with amazing people Solve problems and design things that matter Never be bored Earn a great salary Enjoy job flexibility Travel Make a difference Change the world

Fun engineering facts Reference: Fun Engineering Facts The word engineer comes from a Latin word meaning ‘cleverness’. In 1899 the commissioner of the US Patent office said "everything that can be invented has been invented." Did you know the snowboard was invented by an engineer? Ever play on a slip-and-slide or slide down a waterslide during a hot summer? It was a civil engineer that invented the slippery part! Did you know engineers designed the shoes you’re wearing now? Engineers designed running shoes in order to distribute our weight evenly throughout the whole foot so that we can walk, run and play comfortably! Ever ridden a roller coaster? All roller coasters are designed by engineers! The world’s tallest steel roller coaster – The Kingda Ka – reaches a height of 468 feet, and a top speed of 128 miles per hour! Can you guess what engineer George W. Ferris created? Answer: The first Ferris Wheel in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1893! Did you know golf balls have dimples to help the ball fly further? An engineer discovered that. Engineers also built high speed trains in China that can reach speeds up to 220mph. Now that’s fast! Reference: Fun Engineering Facts

Engineering design process Design → Build → Test → Re-design 1) Design: What problem(s) are you trying to solve? How will it work? What materials will it be made of? How big/small/fast will it be? How do all the pieces fit together? 4) Re-design: Make it faster/smaller/cheaper/more reliable Fix problems Add new features 2) Build: Prototypes provide the best learning How much does it cost? How long does it take to build? Is what you’ve designed really buildable? 3) Test: Are all the features working as designed? Did you cover all the “what-if’s”? Does it work in the cold/heat? Reference: The Engineering Design Process

Real life engineering Activity idea: Choose a real product (iPhone, Tesla, PS4, etc.) and research on the Web to answer some of the following questions: How many engineers did it take to design? How long did it take to design? What are all of the costs of bringing the product to market? (Design labor, materials cost, manufacturing labor, shipping, advertising, warranty, infrastructure, etc.) How many of the item have been sold to date? How much money could be saved (or profit made) if you re-designed it to “cost reduce” it so is cost $1 less to build? Good engineers can always make a good product, but can they make money on it? Would you pay $2,000 for an iPhone? Would you pay $2 million for a car? Reference: Link to engineering economic analysis

Fun Engineering Activities Build a bridge out of spaghetti and glue - see how much weight it can support Build structures/towers out of toothpicks and marshmallows – see how high you can go Design “vehicles” out of paper and power them by blowing on them Fold paper airplanes and see what designs are the best for longest flight, best gliding, etc. Hang a string tightly at a steep angle to make a “zip line” and build “vehicles” that travel down the string Reference: http://www.discovere.org/our-activities

References/Resources http://www.discovere.org ???