Student engineering groups across UMBC teamed up to host the second annual Engineers Week on campus, packed with engaging events, including hands-on exhibitions and competitions. Tau Beta Pi, UMBC’s student organization for engineering, took the lead in showcasing the many ways engineers impact society, while broadening the event to this year include a diversity of fields.

Ken Foo ’16, chemical engineering, president of Tau Beta Pi, said that he was pleased with Engineers Week events and the response they received. “This year, we had an astonishing turn-out from engineers from all disciplines, ranging from freshman to seniors, professors, alumni, and even non-STEM undergraduates,” he said.

“Engineers Week is a celebration of engineers and the important work they do in society, but it’s also a chance to raise awareness of the engineering disciplines,” said Julie Ross, dean of UMBC’s College of Engineering and Information Technology (COEIT).

President Freeman Hrabowski kicked off the week with an energetic address on the impact of engineers, the major global challenges they tackle, and how they can collaborate across disciplines to find solutions to those issues.

Not only did Engineers Week engage current UMBC students, but it also involved corporate partners, local K-12 students, and alumnus Corey Fleisher ‘05, mechanical engineering, winner of the Discovery Channel’s “The Big Brain Theory” competition in 2013, who offered engineering students advice through an inspiring talk.

Toward the end of Engineers Week, students from all engineering majors created teams and competed in a minute-to-win-it style competition, quickly working through a series of engineering challenges. In the end, a team of computer engineers was victorious and took home the Battle of the Engineers trophy.

“We hope that the COEIT will continue this wonderful tradition of week-long celebrations,” Tau Beta Pi’s leadership told UMBC News, “and that Engineers Week becomes known as a UMBC tradition future students and alumni can look forward to each year.”

“Together, our student organizations planned and led an amazing week of activities full of inspiration, professional development, outreach to K-12 and UMBC, and fun!” said Ross. She shared, “I am blown away by the level of participation by our students.”

Images: A student participates in an event during Engineers Week (top); a project on display during an event (middle); and students speak with President Hrabowski during the kick-off event. Photos by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.