NEWS

Louisiana Tech University’s Engineering and Science Association (ESA) and College of Engineering and Science (COES) hosted hundreds of students from high schools throughout the Ark-La-Tex for the 2022 “To STEM and Beyond” Engineering and Science Day.

Engineering and Science (E&S) Day attendees were able to learn about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, or STEM, including major and extracurricular options at Louisiana Tech. They began the event by listening to a keynote talk by National Aeronautics and Space Administration engineering space suit designer Amy Ross, who spoke about her experiences working with the agency.

After the keynote, attendees split into groups that rotated between demonstrations and hands-on activities led by COES students and professors. The groups had the opportunity to choose between 30 activities, including 26 that were designed by student-run organizations. Overall, nearly 300 engineering and science students and professors contributed to the success of the event, which was organized over five months by the ESA and coordinated by the group on the day of the event.

“To see the event come together so well after months of planning, long nights, and coordinating, it was rewarding for everyone involved,” Andrew Turner, Cyber Engineering sophomore and ESA publicity co-chair from Thibodaux, Louisiana, said. “It was a great day for the College of Engineering and Science! Sarah and I were originally told last year that we were going to bring back Engineering and Science Day, but we did not think it would have turned out as well as it did. With help from all over the college, we hosted 200 high school students and 70 individual students for a day of demonstrations and presentations from COES organizations all around campus! We hope that E&S Day showcased our love for the STEM field and continues to enlighten students for years to come!”

“Andrew and I have been working since December on E&S Day,” Sarah Campbell, Mechanical Engineering junior and ESA publicity co-chair from Frierson, Louisiana, added. “It was amazing to see months of hard work pay off. It was great to see the College of Engineering and Science work together to create such an amazing event! We had 26 COES organizations participate, as well as over 70 individuals from within COES. We couldn’t have done it without their passion and dedication. We had around 270 volunteers and 200 high school students and counselors attend! We can’t wait to watch E&S Day continue to grow in the future!”

The ESA is a student-led organization that includes all COES undergraduate students and promotes community service, STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education outreach, and friendly competition between other COES organizations.