Overview

As a result of the rapid expansion of scientific knowledge during the second half of the twentieth century and the concurrent advances in a wide array of new technologies, there is an ever-increasing demand for skilled professionals in the engineering and technological fields. At UHSSE, students are given the opportunity to learn about career opportunities in engineering and to develop the skills needed to successfully pursue engineering at the college level.

Goals

• Students will obtain the basic theoretical knowledge and skills to successfully pursue many engineering disciplines at the college level.
• Students will be introduced to: the design process, teamwork, project management, 3D solid modeling, prototyping, testing and evaluation, technical communication, programming, materials, methods of fabrication, control systems, statics, kinematics, and thermodynamics.
• Students will understand engineering principles and methodologies to demonstrate solutions to real world problems.
• Students will demonstrate their engineering knowledge in a senior capstone course.

Faculty

Robert Caruso

Bill Kearney

Dennis Obie

Guy Richters

Gary Swanson

Sharol Wilcoxen

• Introduction to Engineering Design (IED)
  • The major focus of the IED course is to expose students to the design process, research and analysis, teamwork, communication methods, global and human impacts, engineering standards and technical documentation. Students use 3D solid modeling design software to help them design solutions to solve proposed problems and learn how to document their work and communicate solutions to peers and members of the professional community.
• Principles of Engineering (POE)
  • This survey course of engineering exposes students to major concepts they’ll encounter in college engineering courses. Students employ engineering and scientific concepts in the solution of engineering design problems. They develop problem-solving skills and apply their knowledge of research and design to create solutions to various challenges, documenting their work and communicating solutions to peers and members of the professional community.

Electives

• Biotechnical Engineering (BE)
  • The major focus of this course is to expose students to the diverse fields of biotechnology including biomedical engineering, molecular genetics, bioprocess engineering, and agricultural and environmental engineering. Lessons engage students in engineering design problems related to biomechanics, cardiovascular engineering, genetic engineering, agricultural biotechnology, tissue engineering, biomedical devices, forensics and bioethics. Students, usually at the 11th- and 12th-grade level, apply biological and engineering concepts to design materials and processes that directly measure, repair, improve and extend living systems.
• Digital Electronics (DE)
  • Digital electronics is the foundation of all modern electronic devices such as cellular phones, MP3 players, laptop computers, digital cameras and high-definition televisions. The major focus of the DE course is to expose students to the process of combinational and sequential logic design, teamwork, communication methods, engineering standards and technical documentation. This course is designed for 11th- or 12th-grade students.
• Aerospace Engineering (AE)
  • Aerospace Engineering engages students in engineering design problems related to aerospace information systems, astronautics, rocketry, propulsion, the physics of space science, space life sciences, the biology of space science, principles of aeronautics, structures and materials, and systems engineering. Using 3-D design software, students work in teams utilizing hands-on activities, projects and problems and are exposed to various situations encountered by aerospace engineers. This course is designed for 11th- or 12th-grade students.

Engineering Capstone Course

• Engineering Design and Development (EDD)
  • This is an engineering research course in which students will work in teams to research, design, test and construct a solution to an open-ended engineering problem. The product development life cycle and a design process are used to guide and help the team reach a solution to the problem. The team presents and defends their solution to a panel of outside reviewers at the conclusion of the course. The EDD course allows students to apply all the skills and knowledge learned in previous courses. The use of 3D design software helps students design solutions to the problem their team has chosen. This course also engages students in time management and teamwork skills, a valuable set for students in the future. This course is designed for 12th-grade students.