Christian Brothers University (CBU) has a strong School of Engineering (600 East Parkway South, Memphis 38104). The university continues to promote an interest in the field in young people through the workshops and programs it offers throughout the year. This summer, CBU is holding the Aspiring Engineers Workshop that is geared towards rising freshman through rising senior high school students. The three-day hands-on program is for students who have a strong interest in math and science.
There are four engineering majors offered through CBU’s School of Engineering; Chemical/Biochemical, Electrical/Computer, Civil/Environmental and Mechanical. Workshop participants will learn about each of those areas from guest speakers in the fields and through hands-on engineering experiments. The tentative schedule for the week is the following:

Picture courtesy of CBU.
Mechanical Engineering
Monday, July 11
Instructor: Dr. Paul Shiue
8:30 a.m. – 9 a.m. Intro to Mechanical Engineering
9 a.m. – 9:45 a.m. Propeller Demonstration
10 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. Thermodynamics and Fluids
11 a.m. – 12 p.m. Lunch and Guest Speaker
Chemical Engineering
Instructor: Dr. Randel Price
12 p.m. – 12:30 p.m. Intro to Chemical Engineering
12:30 p.m. – 1:15 p.m. Process Safety
1:15 p.m. – 2 p.m. Smiles and Stoichiometry
2 p.m. – 3 p.m. Snack and Guest Speaker

Picture courtesy of CBU.
Tuesday, July 12
Electrical/Computer Engineering
Instructor: Dr. Divya Choudary
8:30 a.m. – 9 a.m. Intro to Electrical/Computer Engineering
9 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. Robot Car
11 a.m. – 12 p.m. Lunch and Guest Speaker
Civil Engineering
Instructor: Dr. Andrew Assadollahi
12 p.m. – 12:30 p.m. Intro to Civil Engineering
12:30 p.m. – 1:15 p.m. K’NEX Activity
1:15 p.m. – 2 p.m. Lab Demonstrations
2 p.m. – 3 p.m. Snack and Guest Speaker
Wednesday, July 13
Engineering Wrap-up
9 a.m. – 10 a.m. CBU Campus Tour
10 a.m. – 11 a.m. Student Panel Discussion
11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Cookout and Swimming Party

Picture courtesy of CBU.
Dr. Paul Shiue, Department of Mechanical Engineering, e-mail , (901) 321-3424
Dr. Divya Choudhary, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, e-mail, (901) 321-3427
Dr. Randel Price, Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, e-mail, (901) 321-3412
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©2015-2016 Homeschool Roster. Article by Jennifer Smeltser. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the publisher http://www.homeschoolroster.com/.
CBU Offers Spring S.T.E.M. Workshop for Girls
The Society of Women Engineers (SWE) chapter on the Christian Brothers University (CBU) campus is offering a free spring S.T.E.M. workshop for girls in sixth through twelfth grades. The focus will be on Electrical Engineering and Chemical Engineering and give girls a better understanding of S.T.E.M. programs and careers in those fields. The organization hosted a fall workshop last year that was student-led by CBU SWE, undergraduate sophomores Yuliana Luna and Georgina Johns. Both students are involved again with the spring workshop that will be held on Thursday, February 25 from 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. on the campus.
Although Yuliana and Georgina both knew they had an interest in engineering, they agree that girls attending the workshop do not have to be already interested in the field. The workshop will provide an opportunity for girls to learn more about both areas of engineering that offer so many possibilities and are often not pursued by females. Their goal is to encourage girls to consider engineering, or any S.T.E.M. program, when it comes to choosing a course of study and career.
Two workshops will be held on the day, with one for sixth through eighth graders and a second for ninth through twelfth graders. There will be discussions, demonstrations and hands-on opportunities. Let your S.T.E.M. confident daughter learn more about her area of interest. Also, encourage your daughter who may not have any interest in the S.T.E.M. areas to attend the workshop, so she may learn more about what “she knows she already doesn’t like”. After the workshop, she will definitely know either way.
You may register online. E-mail Yuliana Luna or e-mail Georgina Johns for more information.
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©2016 Homeschool Roster. Article by Jennifer Smeltser. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the publisher http://www.homeschoolroster.com/.
UT Martin Somerville offers two opportunities to improve ACT scores
If you have a high school student, taking the ACT is probably somewhere on their academic schedule now or in the near future. The UT Martin Somerville campus is offering high school juniors and seniors two opportunities, a one-day workshop and a three-week review, that are geared towards helping them prepare for taking the ACT test.
The three-week review will cover English, reading and math, along with tips for taking tests. One subject will be covered each class meeting with a grammar review for English; practice passages and other tested skills for reading and exercises for building core math concepts and strategy skills to improve performance. English will be covered November 7; reading on November 14 and math on November 21. Students are expected to attend all three weeks.
The one-day workshop will cover all three subjects to help students prepare for the exam.
If your student has already taken the ACT, they can still benefit from both of these instructional events. Students are able to take the ACT exam more than once and may choose which score in each subject they want to use when applying for scholarships and college admission (see other benefits of taking the ACT). Attending the workshop or review could lead to your child testing higher.
The ACT test will be offered again on Saturday, December 12 with a registration deadline of Friday, November 6, 2015. See more test dates.
Three-week Review
Dates: Saturdays, November 7, 14 and 21, 2015
Time: 8:00 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Registration Fee: $79
Location: Fayette-Ware High School, Somerville,
One-day Workshop
Date: Thursday, December 3, 2015
Time: 5:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Location: UT-Martin Somerville Operations in the Career Center, 121 West Court Square, Somerville,
Registration Fee: $30 per student
Registration may be done online or by calling (731) 881-7080 or (800) 482-5199.
UT Martin Jackson
If you live near the UT Martin Jackson Center (3031 U.S. 45 Bypass, Jackson, 38305), there will be two one-day sessions offered on Saturday, December 5: 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. The fee is $30. Call (731) 425-9277 for more information.
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©2015 Homeschool Roster. Article by Jennifer Smeltser. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the publisher http://www.homeschoolroster.com/.